NYHT
by Baou Zakerga156
Summary: They thought they died like the animals they were. What they didn't know was that, from the shadows, these four people saved their world. Having gone their separate ways, the four each had their own adventures, living by how they decided. However, in their bones, they felt a grave danger approaching. It's time for their legend to be reborn.
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1: Lunar**

A young girl of about 17 with chin length black hair, dark violet eyes, and wearing the uniform of Atlas Academy, walked by a café in the middle of the night when she noticed something inside. Several Faunus wearing Grimm Masks were apparently shaking down the owners, an elderly couple. Walking inside calmly, the bell on the door signaled her entry. The Faunus and old people looked at her in surprise.

"Is this what the White Fang has resorted to?" she asked calmly, "Harassing old people who are just trying to make a living?"

"You better leave right now," ordered the apparent leader of the group.

When the girl remained where she stood, the leader signaled one of his men sitting by the door to deal with her. The Faunus grabbed the girl's arm but was thrown back by a pair of large black wings that sprouted from her back. Instantly retracting, the girl's pupils turned yellow while her irises turned blood red and seemed to be glowing while the whites of her eyes turned pitch black. A Grimm mask that resembled that of a Nevermore materialized on her face as she threw a glaive that appeared in her hand in a wisp of smoke through the chest of the Faunus that she had knocked away. Another Faunus brought down a sword on the girl but it shattered the instant she blocked it with her forearm. The leader of the group pointed at gun at the girl but she covered the barrel with her hand as he pulled the trigger. However, the bullet was halted in the barrel with the girl looking completely fine. Grabbing the group's leader by the head, she pushed him through a table and impaled him on the pole used to hold it up. Gazing at the last member of the group, he dropped his weapon and ran out of the shop.

Sighing, the girl's mask vanished in a burst of smoke and her eyes returned to normal. The old woman quickly pulled some money from the register and offered it to the girl, who declined it with a shake of her head.

"You need it more than I do," said the girl as she pulled out a sizeable crystal of red Dust, "This is 98% refined. It should be more than enough to repair this place."

She sat it on the table next to the door then calmly left. Once she was out of sight of the shop, she ran a hand through her hair as she was beginning to regret what she had just done.

* * *

 **Part 2: Ghoul**

A girl of 17 wearing a long dark trench coat with black hair cut into a bob with some bangs covering her milky white right eye while her milky left eye remained exposed walked up to a steel door. Breaking open the lock, she pushed the door open and found two frightened kids. One was a male human child of about six while the other was a female lion Faunus of four.

"Hey," said the girl as she crouched down to eye level with the children, "It's okay."

She removed her hood and revealed the two white rabbit ears atop her head so as to calm the frightened children

"I know you both are scared," stated the girl as she attempted to comfort the pair, "But I'm here to help you. You don't have to be scared anymore."

"Okay," said the human boy as the girl picked up both him and the young Faunus in her arms.

"Let's get you back to your parents," she suggested as she walked out the door.

Passing over the bodies of the dead humans and by the blood stained walls, the children hid their faces in the woman's shoulders. The young Faunus looked up behind the girl and went wide eyed.

"Behind you!" she exclaimed.

The last surviving human that had come out of hiding was pinned against the wall by a Grimm-like tail that had slithered its way out from under the girl's coat. Turning her head toward the human man that had tried to attack them, her pupils turned yellow while her irises turned blood red and seemed to be glowing while the whites of her eyes turned pitch black. A Grimm mask that resembled that of a Sea Dragon materialized on her face. An electrical current moved along the tail and electrocuted the man, scorching his flesh and frying him alive. The tail retracted and the girl continued on her way to escort the children home.

* * *

 **Part 3: Neko**

In the dead of night in Atlas, three men watched with no remorse as the young boy they just threw into a cement mixer from a building that was under construction screamed for help. The sound of something dragging on the ground broke their train of thought and all three turned around. There, they saw a woman of about 17 with her long purple hair done into a ponytail dragging a sledgehammer across the ground toward them. She stopped in the light and the men saw how she was dressed. She wore a black, backless, sleeveless undershirt, an orange over-shirt with two white straps on each shoulder, a large beige sash around her waist, and black stretch pants that had a hole for the black cat tail coming out of the back with a pair of lightweight brown shoes, which allowed for stealth. The dark skin of her face was obscured by the mask of a Beringel while her eyes, whose color was that of and glowed like those of a Grimm.

"Look guys," said the leader of the group in a cocky tone, "It a little girl pretending she's in the White Fang."

The girl remained silent as the men taunted her. Even though she saw them speak, she heard only silence through both kinds of ears. The men circled the girl and the leader pulled a gun on her. She grabbed his wrist, shattering it with ease, then shattered his knee by jamming the sledgehammer into it. The girl calmly fought off the men like it was second nature to her before swinging the sledgehammer into the head of one of the men, sending his corpse tumbling into the cement mixer with the still screaming boy. One of the men shot the sledgehammer out of the girl's hand, forcing her to take cover behind a stone pillar as the man made his escape. The only man remaining on the level of the reached for a gun but was stopped by the girl, who shattered his forearm when he reached for a gun on the ground. The girl grabbed the gun then went to the edge of building. Jumping down, she landed gracefully on one knee then pointed the gun off to her left, firing it the instant the man came in front of the barrel, killing him instantly. She tossed the body into the cement mixer then went back upstairs to the last man of the group that was alive. Standing over him, she pulled her fist back as the man begged for his life before his skull was in pieces and the girl's mask was covered in blood.

Meanwhile, the boy in the cement mixer continued to cry for help when a third body was dumped in along with a rope that was stable enough to climb with. Climbing up the rope he managed to get out of the cement mixer and lied back on the ground as he finally noticed the message on the bag full of metal that acted as a counterweight.

 _LEAVE TOWN_

From the shadows, the girl's mask vanished in a burst of smoke, revealing her deep golden eyes that seemed to light up in the night before they vanished into the darkness along with the girl.

* * *

 **Part 4: Kronos**

A boy of 17 with waist length blond hair that had a pair of orange fox ears topping it sat under a tree as the rain showed no signs of stopping. Watching as Vernal left Raven's tent after delivering a scroll, the light in the tent went out shortly afterwards. Clenching his fists, the boy made his move. Walking into a side tent that housed a shrine that was dedicated to their fallen comrades, the boy let a candle then got onto his knees and bowed to the shine. He then hurried off and quietly entered Raven's tent. Giving her sleeping form a look asking for forgiveness, he grabbed the scroll that Vernal had delivered and left. Entering his own tent, he took out Raven's sword, which he had stolen, holding it up to his long locks. With one swift movement, the hair fell to the ground and was soon joined by more. Going over to an armor stand he pulled the regal red robes and armor from the stand and put them on. Gazing at the blade with his one visible blue eye while his other was covered by a lone silver streak of his bangs, his eyes turned the color of a Grimm's as a Dragon Grimm's mask materialized on his face before sheathing the weapon.

Entering the stables, he went up to the best horse the tribe had and calmed it down before attaching the reigns to it. Leading the horse outside, he gave Raven's tent one last look before he hopped on. Bursting through the gates, he rode into the forest as fast as he could.

Back at the camp, Raven came out of her tent, as the ruckus woke her up, to find that everyone was running about.

"What's going on?" demanded Raven as she grabbed Vernal by the arm.

"He took the information on the artifact," said Vernal as she tried to explain quickly.

"Who?" demanded Raven as she pulled the Spring Maiden closer to look her in the eyes.

"Y-Your son," she stated fearfully.

Raven ran into her tent and found the scroll was indeed gone as well as her sword. Grabbing an extra copy of her sword with a red blade, she attached it to her hip and ran outside. Transforming into her bird form, Raven flew through the rain when the sound of a horse running reached her ears. Looking down, she saw the boy racing through the trees and gave a loud caw. The boy looked up at Raven and pushed the horse faster. However, he soon came to a cliff and pulled back on the reigns. Rearing up, the horse neighed as it skidded to a halt, stopping just feet from the chasm. Raven landed as she returned to her human form as the boy got off the horse.

"So, you actually think you could get away with betraying us?" questioned Raven as she stared down the boy.

 _"I'm not betraying you,"_ said a voice inside Raven's head, _"I'm carrying out my promise to her that I made when she was erased."_

"You're still going on about that?!" shouted Raven, "You're the one that made her succumb to Salem's influence! You're the one who caused that incident two years ago!"

 _"And I've been regretting having sent her on that road,"_ said the voice as the boy drew the sword he had stolen, revealing the red blade that burst into flames, _"I thank you for saving me all those years ago. But now it is my turn to save you. I won't allow you to lay a hand on the artifact."_

Raven darted forward as she too drew her red bladed sword and met the boy's. Fire burst from the point of contact as the boy and Raven dueled through the trees with not only their lives but their ideals and pride on the line. Vernal and the other bandits arrived but were forced back by the sheer heat of the flames that separated them from Raven and the boy. Vernal could barely make them out through the flames but from what she could see, she knew that both of them didn't want to do this. Both were crying as they fought and appeared to be exhausted. Raven found an opening and planted her fist straight into the middle of the boy's chest. He was sent flying back over the edge of the cliff and fell into the darkness below. Raven dragged herself over to the cliff as blood ran down her arms and legs. Panting, Raven knelt down at the edge of the cliff and muttered some rites under her breath before heading back to camp.

* * *

The boy turned toward the ground as he appeared to slow down. Landing gently on the ground, he looked up to find his three teammates waiting for him, each one wearing their masks.

 _"It's good to see you all again,"_ said a voice inside the heads of the three girls, _"It's been two long years since we last saw each other but now is the time to come together again."_

Looking into the darkness, he raised his hand and four Griffin Grimm stepped out of the shadows. Each member of the group climbed atop one of the Griffins and the Grimm took off into the sky. Illuminated by the moon, the four headed for their central goal, Beacon Academy.

 _ **To Be Continued?**_


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby shielded herself from Torchwick's blast when a shadow jumped between them, cutting the explosion in two with a blue sword. Ruby stared in awe at the boy that had saved her. He appeared to be about two years older than her and wore a red robe that seemed like something royalty would wear. He had chin length blond hair with a silver streak of bangs covering his right eye topped by two orange fox ears. His visible eye was sapphire blue that seemed to glow in the moonlight. At his hip was a large sheath for the blue odachi, which he sheathed then drew after a moment, with the sword now having a purple blade. Lightning cracked around the blade as he swung it toward the airship that Torchwick was standing in. The lightning caused the airship to shake violently, forcing Torchwick to retreat inside. Shooting lightning up into the air, the boy created storm clouds that boomed with thunder and impaled the airship with sharp shards of ice. A woman in a red dress came to the door Torchwick had been standing at with the boy narrowing his eyes at her. The woman shot a stream of fire at them with a wave of her hands and the boy threw his free hand toward the flames. The moment the flames came in contact with him, they were drawn into the boy's hand as a pattern on his arm glowed through his clothes. The woman on the airship seemed surprised at this and quickly hurried inside, but not before setting off several explosions around the boy and Ruby. Time froze as the boy calmly sheathed his sword then walked over to Ruby. He picked her up bridal style and took several steps forward. When time resumed, the explosion went off behind them with only minor damage to the building while the airship flew away.

"Um, you can put me down now," stated Ruby nervously as she looked up at the boy.

The boy gave Ruby a smirk then sat her down. Dusting off her skirt, Ruby looked up at the smiling boy with a mixture of awe and bewilderment.

"Are you a Huntsman?" she asked.

The boy shook his head playfully before he suddenly became serious. Looking off to the side, Ruby followed his gaze to see an angry blond woman wearing a white top, black skirt and pants with black high heels holding a riding crop in her right hand.

 **(Half an Hour Later)**

Ozpin and Glinda Goodwitch entered their second interrogation room at the local police station and stood across the table from the boy. Taking a seat at the table with him, Ozpin sipped from his mug.

"It was clever what you and the others did 2 years ago, Naruto," compliment Ozpin.

The boy, Naruto, just remained stone faced as Ozpin continued to observe his body language.

"What made you want to resurface after all this time?" asked the silver haired man as Naruto held his left arm, "Something to do with your left arm perhaps?"

Naruto palmed his head at the mistake he'd made before sighing. Holding up his left arm, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a large and intricate pattern tattooed onto it. Seeing it, Ozpin raised an eyebrow as he continued to drink.

"So, what do you intend to do now?" he asked the boy.

Naruto continued to remain silent as Ozpin nodded.

"I see," he said as he turned to Glinda, "Would you mind putting some more names into the list of students being accepted this year, Glinda?"

"Huh?" asked Glinda, "But he didn't even say a word."

"That's where you're wrong, my dear," said Ozpin as he looked back at Naruto, "He just explained everything to me. Would you please escort Ruby back to Signal Academy, Naruto?"

Nodding, Naruto stood up and walked outside the room to find Ruby was waiting right outside.

"Ruby, our young friend here will escort you back to the dormitories tonight," explained Ozpin, "I can assure you that you will grow to like him."

Naruto corralled Ruby with him to the door and walked with her out of the station and toward Signal Academy.

"So, what's your name?" asked Ruby nervously after a few moments of silence.

The boy silently chuckled and Ruby frowned.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

The boy pointed to his neck then drew an X over it.

"Oh," said the now embarrassed Ruby, "I'm sorry."

Naruto waved her off and rested his left hand on his sword.

"That is one really cool sword you have there," said Ruby as she eyed the sheathed weapon.

 _"Thanks,"_ said a disembodied voice in Ruby's head.

"Huh?" asked Ruby as she looked over her shoulder.

 _"I'm over here,"_ said the voice to Ruby's left, getting her to look in that direction, _"No! Over here!"_

Ruby began pulling her hair out when Naruto began laughing.

 _"I can't do this anymore,"_ said the voice, _"It's me, Ruby."_

Ruby looked at Naruto to see him trying to contain his laughter.

"Huh?" she asked in confusion.

 _"It's my semblance,"_ said the voice, _"I'm able to project my thoughts into people whenever I want."_

"That is such a cool semblance!" exclaimed Ruby excitedly, "So, you can project your thoughts to others?"

 _"I can also hear the thoughts of others,"_ thought Naruto as the continued walking, _"Like the fact that you think I'm cute."_

"I-I-I…" stammered the suddenly flustered Ruby.

 _"It's fine,"_ thought Naruto as he chuckled, _"I'm actually not really interested in relationships right now."_

"Oh," said Ruby as they continued walking and chatting.

All the while, Naruto began feeling guilty as he and Ruby talked. Knowing that he shouldn't have helped her as Glinda was about to save Ruby when he stepped in. But it also caused Naruto's heart to ache as he recalled the last time he'd gotten involved with Hunters and Huntresses. Arriving at the Signal Academy dorms, they stopped at the front door and turned to each other.

"So, are you going to start going to Beacon?" she asked.

 _"Yeah,"_ thought Naruto as he felt another pair of eyes on them, _"I'm actually going to be going there at about the same time as you."_

"That's great!" exclaimed Ruby as she headed for the doors, "I'll see you tomorrow on the airship then!"

 _"Yeah!"_ thought Naruto as Ruby and entered and closed the door behind her with Naruto now openly showing his guilt, _"Tomorrow…"_

Slowly walking away, Naruto reentered the city of Vale and entered a rather deserted bar. Taking a seat at the counter, he began sulking as the bartender came up to him.

"The usual, kid?" he asked as he cleaned a mug.

Simply pointing up, Naruto continued to sulk as the bartender poured him the strongest drink they had. Taking a large gulp, he pulled out a small black box that hit into his hand. A girl with black hair in a similar manner to his with rabbit ears instead of fox eyes and milky white eyes and wearing a cloak entered and took the seat next to him.

"Just some water," said the girl as she lowered her head.

After getting the glass, the bartender went off and left the pair to themselves.

"Are we really getting involved with Huntsmen again?" asked the girl.

Naruto remained silent as he swirled his drink before taking a gulp.

"Remember what happened last time we got involved with them," said the girl as she kept her gaze off of Naruto, "You had to erase her."

 _"I remember that time very clearly, Tamao,"_ thought Naruto with a sigh, _"But… I made her a promise. I just… as my last promise to her, I have to follow through. It took two years to find the artifact. All that pain and sacrifice we went through… we abandoned our friends, our families. But for the first time, I feel like I'm actually doing something to help. Something we don't have to keep secret."_

"We all saw how upset you were when you had to do that," said Tamao as she drank her water, "And, surprisingly, we all had hopes for you two. While the others and I don't really care for humans, she didn't seem like one. She just seemed like one of us. An outsider."

 _"Can we skip the foreplay right now?"_ asked Naruto in exhasperation, _"Why are you really here?"_

"We confirmed that Ozpin is looking for someone to replace Amber," confessed Tamao, "It would seem like he's courting potential students to find a suitable replacement as the Fall Maiden."

 _"Well, if he does indeed intend to transfer Amber's powers to another person, we need to make sure that that person is kept safe,"_ thought Naruto as he drank some more before standing up, _"Tell the others we're attending Beacon starting tomorrow. We need to find Amber and brand her in case something goes wrong."_

As soon as Naruto took a step, he began to wobble and Tamao quickly caught him as he passed out.

"I'll never understand why you're the strongest of us and yet your tolerance for alcohol is so low," wondered Tamao aloud as she headed for the door with Naruto in tow, "Put the drink on his tab."

Leaving the bar, Tamao took Naruto down the street and to a motel, where they were staying. Helping him inside his room, she lied Naruto down on the bed and covered him over with blankets before heading to the room she shared with the others. Opening the room door, she entered the quietly closed the door behind her.

"How's he doing?" asked a girl with violet eyes as she turned on the lamp next to her.

"Hana," muttered Tamao quietly, "He's still hung up on that day."

"Great," said Hana as a girl with dark skin, long purple hair, golden eyes, and cat ears came out of the bathroom wearing a towel.

Sitting down and looking at the others, the girl removed the towel and began drying her hair.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He encountered Cinder earlier," said Hana with a sigh, "If word gets back to Adam or Sienna, we're going to be screwed."

"Yeah," said the purple haired girl solemnly, "But Cinder had never seen us unless we were… yeah."

"Either way, we're going to be attending Beacon until we can find out what Ozpin did with Amber," stated Tamao as she looked at the purple haired girl, "You know what to do, Yuna."

 **(The Next Day)**

Ruby entered the airship bound for Beacon Academy and looked around for two familiar faces.

 _"In the back, Ruby,"_ came Naruto's voice inside her head.

Ruby went to the back of the ship and found Naruto in some less fancy clothes standing with three girls.

"Hey, Naruto," said Ruby as she approached, "Who are your friends?"

 _"Well, the Rabbit Faunus is Tamao Kirishima,"_ thought Naruto as he introduced the others, _"The cat is Yuna Khan. And the bird is Hana Inoue."_

"Bird?" asked Ruby with a tilted head.

"I'm able to retract my wings if I wish," explained Hana with a little chuckle, "It would be bothersome if I were to have them out all the time."

"Well, it's nice to meet you," said Ruby before she looked at Yuna, who was looking out the window, "Hello."

When Yuna didn't react, Ruby pouted.

"She's deaf," explained Tamao as she looked off in a random direction.

"Huh?" asked Ruby as she looked at the Rabbit girl.

"She's deaf," repeated Tamao, "I'm also blind. And I'm sure you know by now that Gin is a mute."

"Gin?" questioned Ruby with surprise.

 _"It's a bit of a pet name,"_ thought Naruto in annoyance as he twirled the silver streak of hair he had, _"When we first met 5 years ago, they started calling me that, much to my dismay."_

"You know we didn't mean it to be rude," said Hana playfully as she put Naruto in a headlock with him flailing his arms at how tight it was, "You got used to it eventually."

 _"YOUR CRUSHING MY SKULL!"_ thought Naruto urgently.

"Sorry," apologized Hana as she let go and Naruto fell to the ground.

"So, your semblance is super strength?" asked Ruby.

"Not exactly," said Hana as she pumped her fist, "I'm just super strong through years of training. I can even turn a piece of coal into a diamond."

"Don't get a head of yourself," said Tamao as she stretched her arms as the airship began taking off, "It's not as impressive as mine."

"What's yours?" asked Ruby curiously.

Tamao smiled and pointed a finger at Yuna. A spark flew out from her fingertip, shocking the deaf girl and getting her to scowl at Tamao.

"Don't do that," said Yuna in a hushed tone.

"She talks?" asked Ruby.

"Of course I talk," said Yuna, "I may be deaf but that doesn't mean that I can't speak," it was then she noticed the expression Ruby was making, "I can read lips so I know what other people are saying."

"What's your semblance?" asked Ruby.

With a sigh, Yuna held up Crescent Rose and examined it, which surprised Ruby.

"Yuna's semblance is high speed movement," explained Hana, "You could think of it as an upgraded version of yours where you can't even tell if the person has moved."

"So cool," said Ruby in awe before turning back to Hana, "What's yours then?"

 _"No,"_ thought Naruto quickly and getting Ruby to look at him, _"Hana's semblance is something that she can't reveal."_

"Why?" whined Ruby as she tilted her head.

"Anyone that it's been used on has died," answered Tamao.

"Seriously?" asked Ruby with a little fear in her voice.

"It's not something I ever wanted," stated Hana solemnly, "But it's what I was given."

 _"By the way, Ruby, aren't you supposed to meet up with someone?"_ asked Naruto.

"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Ruby, "I completely forgot about Yang!" she then headed off into the crowd, "I'll catch you all later!"

As she went off, the expressions of the four turned serious.

"You think she could be…" began Hana.

 _"It's possible,"_ thought Naruto as he watched Ruby and her sister meet up from a distance, _"Keep an eye on her. And not just because of the relation we share."_

He rested his left hand on the hilt of his sword as he watched Yang, feeling anger well up inside himself. Grunting, he grabbed half his face and hurried into an empty bathroom. Looking at his reflection in the mirror he panted eyes his eye turned red and his pupil became a slit.

 _"No,"_ he thought as he glared at his reflection, _"I will never let that power be unleashed again."_

Taking several minutes to regain his composure, Naruto left the bathroom after his eye had returned to normal and began talking about other things. Each of them, however, were evaluating every individual before them. But, at one point or another, their eyes became fixated on one person that they hoped never to lay their eyes on. A girl their age. She had long red hair and emerald green eyes.

 _"Pyrrha,"_ thought Naruto as a single tear ran down his face.

* * *

 **Alright. So, Tamao, Hana, and Yuna get their designs from Touka Kirishima, Hotaru Tomoe, and Yoruichi Shihoin respectively. I'm not very good when it comes to making up an OC's appearance but I'm pretty good with coming up with their personalities. I really hope that's okay with all of you. As for how Pyrrha is involved with Naruto and his group, it won't be revealed for quite some time so please bare with me as I work out the details. Also, I'll delve into what the artifact is some time in the future once I've finalized the plans for it.**

 **I'll try and get links for everyone's regular outfits on my profile once I've found the perfect ones for them.**

 **Other than that, please stay tuned and I'll see you all next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

The group walked several yards behind Pyrrha Nikos so she wouldn't notice them as they exited the ship. Quickly following her to the assembly building they were supposed to be at, the four huddled several yards away while keeping an eye on the red head.

"Do you think she remembers?" asked Tamao worriedly.

 _"She shouldn't,"_ thought Naruto urgently as he kept casting glances at Pyrrha, _"I made certain to erase everything concerning us."_

"But then why is she here?" muttered Yuna, "Didn't you include a desire not to be a Huntress when you did it?"

 _"Of course I did,"_ shot back Naruto, _"You all know I had no choice but to do that. I can only assume she came here for some other reason."_

"Excuse me," said Pyrrha as she came up to the group.

All four of them jumped apart and quickly turned to Pyrrha while trying to remain calm.

 _"Hey, Pyrrha,"_ greeted Naruto nervously, _"How's it going?"_

"Well, since you're here, I'm going to have to try my best to show I have what it takes to be here," remarked Pyrrha with s friendly smile.

"So, how do you know Gin?" asked Hana as she leaned closer to Pyrrha.

 _"Please stop with the pet name,"_ begged Naruto as he whined, _"I don't need to deal with it here."_

"He and I faced each other in the Mistral Regional Tournament the last four years," explained Pyrrha with a chuckle, "He always did say he was going to beat me but never did."

 _"Thanks for reminding of that,"_ thought Naruto in dismay as he planted his head through a wall.

"Anything other than that?" asked Yuna.

"Nope," said Pyrrha, "We're just friendly rivals," she then looked at Naruto as he pulled his head out of the wall, "So, Naruto, you're becoming a Huntsman as well?"

 _"Yeah,"_ thought Naruto sheepishly as he turned back to Pyrrha, _"What about you? I thought you didn't want to be a Huntress."_

"I don't, actually," confessed Pyrrha as she looked at the floor, "I'm… looking for someone."

The quartet exchanged looks then looked back to Pyrrha.

"There's this gap in my memory," she explained, "I can faintly remember someone important but I can't seem to recall their face or their name," she gave an embarrassed laugh as she raised her head a little, "I'm becoming a Huntress so I can go on a journey to find that person."

Shoving Pyrrha away, Naruto stormed out of the assembly hall and to a fountain. Planting his head against a tree, he found it increasingly hard to not cry. Turning around and leaning against the tree, Naruto just slid down the trunk and got into a fetal position. Pulling the locket of a necklace out from under his shirt, he opened it to see a small picture of him and Pyrrha in a photo booth, smiling and having a good time.

 _"Why?"_ questioned Naruto and he closed the locket and help it tightly, _"Why does this have to happen now?!"_

"It seems like you're in a bind," said Ozpin as he approached, "Still dealing with those feelings for Miss Nikos?"

 _"You knew she was going to be here,"_ thought Naruto angrily, _"Why didn't you tell me?"_

"Because learning to let go of the past is a part of life," said Ozpin as he walked up to Naruto and looked down at him, "You erased your time together in order to save her life. And you even threw the last two tournaments you were in together in order to make her happy while also pushing each other to the limit."

Naruto looked off to the side as Ozpin took a drink.

"I have been faced with far more failures in my life that I would like and, like you, there are things I wish I could change," explained Ozpin, "You may not be lovers anymore but you can start over and forge new memories as friends."

He continued on his way while Naruto remained by the tree.

"By the way," said Ozpin as he stopped, "Just so you don't get surprised by it, Weiss Schnee is attending Beacon as well."

He got back to walking and Naruto's sadness was starting to mix with the anger he felt at the mention of the Schnee name. Hearing footsteps approach, Naruto looked up to see Pyrrha walking toward him.

"Hey," said Pyrrha, a little nervous as she stopped next to him, "I'm sorry if I said something back there."

 _"It's fine,"_ replied Naruto as he got to his feet, _"I was having a moment."_

Dusting off his pants, Naruto looked at Pyrrha.

 _"If it's not too much trouble, maybe we could go out to get some coffee as friends sometime,"_ suggested Naruto nervously.

"That sounds nice," said Pyrrha, "We'll have to set a date."

 _"Great,"_ replied Naruto with a small smile, _"I'll send you the details later."_

"See you then," said Pyrrha as she went off.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto sighed in dismay as he hung his head.

 _"I know what you're gonna say,"_ thought Naruto, _"I shouldn't be getting involved with her again."_

"I wasn't going to say a thing," said Yuna as she landed behind Naruto, "But do you really think it's a good idea to go through this again?"

 _"No,"_ replied Naruto, _"I… just want to do this so I can let go."_

"But in doing so, you risk the possibility of her recovering her memories," reminded Yuna, "Doing this could return her to Salem's influence."

Feeling a scar across his chest tingle, Naruto placed his left hand over his heart.

 _"If you all feel like I'm getting too close to her, I want you all to stop me right there,"_ ordered Naruto as he walked back to the assembly hall.

"As you wish… Commander," stated Yuna as she stood at attention and crossed her right arm over her chest while she put her left behind her back.

Pausing at the comment for a moment, Naruto continued on to the assembly hall while he fingered his sword.

 **(That Night)**

Hana, Tamao, and Yuna were currently in their own corner of the room where all the potential students were going to sleep for the night while Ruby came over with a girl that had wildly long blond hair.

"Hey, guys," said Ruby in slight annoyance, "This is my sister, Yang."

"Hello," said Yang as she waved at the trio.

Two gave grunts as they tried to sleep while Yuna was completely asleep when Ruby noticed they were one short.

"What happened to Naruto?" asked Ruby as she looked around.

"He's taking a stroll," said Hana as she kept her eyes closed.

"Do you know when he's going to be back?" asked Ruby hopefully.

"Gin isn't the type of person for company," said Tamao as she opened her milky eyes, "When we first met him, he preferred not to be around us when we weren't off doing something together."

"Gin?" whispered Yang to her sister

"Their pet name for Naruto," explained Ruby before she looked back at the two awake girls, "How long have you known Naruto?"

"Since we were eleven," said Yuna as she had woken up a few seconds earlier and read Ruby's lips, "Back when we were younger, we were mostly colleagues because we all grew up in poverty and had to get jobs. After about a year, he finally opened up to us about his past and we shared ours with his."

"Your pasts?" asked Yang as she tilted her head.

"I was born in Vacuo and moved around a lot with some merchants after my parents died when I was seven," explained Hana, "Tamao grew up in an abusive family while Yuna's family was… a little less than friendly with humans."

"And Naruto?" questioned Ruby.

"He was raised by a group of bandits when he was five but before that, he lived in Atlas with his father," recalled Yuna, "He and his father were workers in a Dust mine and his father died in an incident."

"I thought I told you two to keep quiet!" stated Weiss as she stormed over, "People are trying to sleep here!"

"And speak of the devil," said Hana when she saw Weiss, "Here's a member of the family that owns the mine Gin worked at."

"I expected this from them but I would think other people would know when others are trying to be rested up for tomorrow!" argued Weiss to Hana and the others.

"An attitude like that is likely to get you killed, Ice Queen," advised Tamao, "Nobody here is going to answer your every demand so just go and cry yourself to sleep in the corner about the fact that you won't get that omelet you want for breakfast."

"How dare you!" exclaimed Weiss angrily.

"A bit of advice for you, Schnee," said Yuna as she closed her eyes and went to sleep again, "Unless you want to die, never be alone in the same room as Gin. If you are, we're not going to be able to stop him from laying a hand on you."

* * *

Naruto, wearing his red robes and with his sword, darted through the halls of Beacon while quickly hiding around corners to avoid the sight of possible people. Peering around the corner, he made a dash for the elevator and pried the doors open. Once done, he jumped down into the dark abyss below when space around him seemed to waiver, slowing his descent to enable him to land on the ground without injury. Prying those doors open, Naruto climbed into the vault under the Academy and began walking down the long hall. Feeling his left arm tingle, more and more as he walked through the darkness, Naruto knew he was going the right way. Pushing open the large doors at the end of the hall, he allowed the light to shine on a machine that had one occupant inside the left chamber.

 _"Hello, Amber,"_ thought Naruto as he approached the command console.

Pressing some buttons, the chamber depressurized and opened, exposing Amber to the outside world. Cupping Amber's cheek then tracing the scars on her face with his left hand, he placed his hand against her abdomen and the tattoo along his arm began reacting. It lit up and grew down his arm before spreading out onto Amber's tanned skin. The markings spread across her entire body before they collected on her abdomen. Removing his hand, Naruto stared at the Eight-Trigrams Seal that was now placed upon Amber before closing the chamber. Once that was done, Naruto exited the room but stopped in his tracks when he passed the threshold.

 _"Qrow,"_ thought Naruto as he noticed his uncle out of the corner of his left eye.

"What did you do to Amber?" questioned Qrow with one hand on his sword.

 _"A little insurance in case your plan doesn't work,"_ replied Naruto calmly as he rested his left hand on his sword, _"Since Ozpin has such a great track record when dealing with Salem."_

"And what is this insurance you have?" questioned Qrow as he drew his weapon.

 _"I wouldn't try it if I were you,"_ advised Naruto as he drew his sword a little, _"It took countless resources to find my insurance policy. Ozpin's plans come at such a high cost or did you forget what happened to Summer?"_

Dashing forward, Qrow swung his weapon but was stopped effortlessly by Naruto, who didn't even remove the entire sword from its sheath. A shockwave spread out from the point their blades met before they jumped apart and Naruto sheathed his weapon.

 _"Just know that the rest of them are upstairs with Ruby and Yang,"_ advised Naruto as he headed for the elevator, _"If I so wish, I could order them to kill the pair in their sleep. Keep that in mind before you try to attack me again."_

Qrow clenched the handle of his sword tightly as Naruto jumped up the elevator.

* * *

As he headed back to his group, Naruto passed through a hallway that was illuminated by the moonlight. As he walked through, the bangs over his right eye parted minutely to reveal a shred of silver that sparkled in the light of the broken moon.

* * *

 **So, Pyrrha and Naruto have a past together, which will be elaborated on in later chapters. The next few chapters will be fleshing out the rest of NYHT and how they were molded into their current state.**

 **Until the, see ya!**


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto adjusted his sheath as he got ready for the Team Placement Exam before running a brush through his hair. As he did so, he felt the eyes of his group on him. Sighing, he closed his locket and headed out to grab breakfast. Taking some waffles, he proceeded to the airship that would take them to the testing area when he came across Ruby and Yang.

"Hey, Naruto," said Ruby cheerfully as she and Yang came up to the blond boy.

 _"Hey, Ruby,"_ thought Naruto with a smile, _"This must be Yang Xiao Long."_

"Has anyone ever told you it's weird when they hear your voice inside their heads?" asked Yang as she held her throbbing skull.

 _"Yeah,"_ thought Naruto with a silent chuckle, _"So, any thoughts on who you want on your team?"_

"Definitely Yang," said Ruby instantly.

"Come on, Rubes," teased Yang as she playfully punched her sister, "You need to stop relying on me all the time."

"But we both know each other's strengths and weaknesses," argued Ruby while Naruto continued to eat his waffles, "Plus, we'd never argue about anything."

Naruto suddenly laughed and blew chunks of waffles out his nose, making the two look at him.

 _"Sorry,"_ apologized Naruto as he cleaned up, _"But that's not really true."_

"Huh?" asked Ruby while tilting her head to the side.

 _"Before Hana, Tamao, Yuna, and I went our separate ways for two years, on our last job, we argued for so much even though we'd been working together and were friends for the last four years,"_ explained Naruto as he recalled that time, _"It brought out the best as well as the worst in us. After our job was done, we didn't speak up until a few days ago."_

"What happened that made you stop talking?" asked the curious Ruby.

Remaining silent, Naruto looked at the ground and held his head in shame.

 _"We discovered the people we worked for were doing highly illegal things and it resulted in the death of my girlfriend,"_ confessed Naruto as he was on the verge of tears.

"Oh my gosh," said the suddenly embarrassed Ruby as she pulled Naruto into a hug, "I'm so sorry for asking."

 _"It's fine,"_ assured Naruto as Ruby let go of him, _"After we stopped the people we were working for, we each went our separate ways. Hana went to join Atlas Academy. Tamao went on to work for a law firm here in Vale. Yuna, I'm not sure about but I heard her mention something about construction."_

"And where did you go?" asked Yang as she took the seat on the other side of Naruto.

 _"Well, I didn't really have a place to go after it was over,"_ stated Naruto sadly, _"I was living with my girlfriend and her parents but I couldn't face them after that. So, I went back to the bandit tribe that raised me when I was five."_

Removing the glove on his right hand, he showed them a scar on the back then turned it over to reveal that an identical scar was on the other side.

 _"The tribe didn't really take too kindly to me leaving so I did this to prove my devotion to them,"_ explained Naruto as he clenched his hand but didn't do it as tight as he would like, _"I haven't been able to properly use a sword since then. I use Dust blades in order to make up for it but it's not as strong as I used to be."_

"Well, being able to use the elements is pretty cool," added Yang, "It would be cool if I could punch somebody and set them on fire."

"I think you'd burn them already with your fiery personality," joked Ruby.

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at this while Yang and Ruby got into a playful argument. The rest of the students began filing on the airship. Hana, Tamao, and Yuna cast looks at Naruto before going to take a seat further in.

"That was weird," commented Yang aloud, "Aren't you four friends?"

 _"To be honest, we only hung out because we knew each other,"_ explained Naruto as he kept his head down, _"We've rarely spoken to each other than when we met up a few days ago, on the airship here, and last night."_

"Seriously?" asked Ruby in surprise.

 _"After the death of my girlfriend, we had a brief conversation and I left without a word to them,"_ confessed Naruto in shame, _"I was the one who asked to meet up again a few days ago."_

"But isn't it good to get in touch with old friends?" asked Ruby as the ship took off.

 _"Not when you've cut yourself off from them completely for two years,"_ stated Naruto as he looked down at the three girls in question, _"I left them high and dry and didn't do anything to help them when I left."_

He began fidgeting with his hands before looking at the wall.

 _"I know about the warning they gave Weiss concerning me,"_ he thought as he closed his eyes, _"Do you recall the tone of their voice when they gave Weiss the warning?"_

"They sounded a little angry when they did that," recalled Yang, "But I thought that was just because Weiss was being rude."

 _"It was because they had been venting to each other while I was in the bathroom before we had to turn in for the night,"_ explained Naruto as he ran his left hand through his hair, _"The truth is, we've all been miserable since we reunited. Every single moment has been uncomfortable. After I dropped you off at Signal, Ruby, Tamao and I talked in a bar and I could feel the anger she was holding back."_

He pulled the locket out from under his shirt and held it tightly in his hand.

 _"I had originally planned to attend Beacon by myself but actually asked Ozpin to allow the other in as well,"_ thought Naruto with regret, _"But if we're on a team again, I'm just not sure how we're going to handle this."_

"Everything's going to be alright," assured Ruby as she patted Naruto on the back.

Naruto remained silent as he tried to focus on the test they were about to take.

* * *

"So, what were they talking about?" asked Hana of Tamao.

"Apparently, Gin was telling them about how we hate him for leaving," said Tamao without a care in the world.

"That dumbass," spat out Yuna angrily, "He has no right to talk about how we feel."

 _"Gee, thanks for the niceties, you three,"_ echoed Naruto's voice in their heads.

"Would you please stop coming into our heads?!" yelled Hana as she stood up and glared at Naruto, causing everybody to look at them.

Taking several deep breaths, Hana sat down and continued to scowl at Naruto. Everyone sat in silence for the rest of the trip while Naruto closed his eyes to get some sleep with what little time they had left before the exam. Ruby looked away from the trio and back to Naruto just as he started to snore. What surprised her was the sad look on his face. It appeared like he was about to cry to everyone and that's when Ruby noticed his bare hands. They were covered by countless scars of burns and cuts that she hadn't noticed before while the scar on his right hand where he'd stabbed through it still lingered more prominently than the others. Ruby slowly and subtly placed her hand in Naruto's with him.

"Pyrrha," came a strained and barely audible voice that Ruby almost missed.

Ruby looked up at Naruto then down at Pyrrha, who was sitting at the end near the exit ramp. After twenty minutes, they landed and Naruto slowly woke up. Stretching and yawning, Naruto grabbed his sword and attached it to his left hip before leaving. They each took their places on platforms on a cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest where Ozpin and Goodwitch were waiting. After a few minutes, everyone was assembled and Ozpin cleared his throat.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest," stated Ozpin calmly.

"Now, I'm sure you've heard rumors about the assignment of teams," stated Goodwitch, "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates… today."

Naruto heard Ruby groan lightly at the announcement but shook it off.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time at Beacon," stated Ozpin, "So, it is in your best interest to be paired with someone you can work with well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"What?!" exclaimed Ruby in dismay.

"Take your positions," ordered Ozpin.

Everyone got ready to be launched except for the person on the end, Jaune Arc, who raised his hand. Naruto was launched high into the air just before Jaune began speaking and flew over the treetops. Looking over his shoulder, he saw everybody was now in the air and heading toward the ground. As the hair over his silver eye blew back, it glowed minutely as Naruto shot through the trees fast than he should have and toward the ground. Before he landed on the ground, space seemed to distort around him as everything appeared to be moving slower than it should have been. Stepping onto the ground, Naruto looked over head and saw someone fly over. He began running after the person and skidded to a halt when he found the person in a clearing. Dusting off her long sleeve, Yuna stood up and turned around to meet Naruto's gaze, her hand resting on the long odachi across her lower back.

 **(Flashback ~ 6 Years Ago~)**

"You have done well, my daughter," said Sienna Khan as she stared at the other two eleven year old girls that stood before her.

Yuna, also eleven, bowed to her mother as she stood next to the other girls.

"And just what do you two think of humans?" asked Sienna of the young girls that her daughter had brought to her.

"All I want is for Faunus to get the same recognition that they have in Vacuo around the world," stated Hana a little nervously, "But I'll do whatever it take to get that to happen."

"My parents are the worst," said Tamao with her fists clenched, "I spent my life being beaten and starved and I want the world to know my pain."

"Excellent," said Sienna as she sat back in her throne, "Now, let's…"

An enormous explosion went off behind Yuna and knocked the girls off her feet. Yuna screamed in pain as her ears were bleeding heavily. The guards quickly got in front of Sienna and pointed their weapons toward the opening in the wall. A bloody arm flew through the smoke and dust as a young boy of eleven with spiky blond hair and orange fox ears atop his head strode into the room. In his right hand was a simple sword while his left hand was holding the body of one of her guards. However, the most frightening aspect of him was that he wore a Dragon Grimm mask and his eyes were also that of a Grimm. Hana and Tamao slowly got to their feet as the boy stopped in his tracks, dropping the body he was holding. Tamao's fists crackled with lightning as she began to take a step forward before she was suddenly on the ground and clutching her bleeding eyes while screaming just as loud. Hana looked down at Tamao before looking back at the boy to find him standing less than a foot from her. Shoving his hand on her face, Hana screamed under the boy's hand as what appeared to be a black mist coming from his hand engulfed her body. When the mist was gone, Hana was had fallen to the ground, unconscious, with the mask of a Nevermore over her face. Spinning around, the mist spread out from the boy's hand and engulfed both Tamao and Yuna, whose cries died a moment later. When it was gone, the two were both unconscious and also now wearing Grimm masks. Tamao's as a Sea Dragon's while Yuna's was a Beringel. The boy turned his head in Sienna's direction and the guards got in front of her, their spears pointed at the boy.

The boy met Sienna's slightly frightened eyes but surprised her by dropping his sword and falling to his knees. Placing his hands on the ground, he bowed to Sienna and remained silent.

 _"I live to serve the White Fang,"_ echoed a voice inside Sienna's head.

Sienna stood up and moved through her guards before walking up to the boy. The boy looked up as his mask burst into a cloud of black mist that revealed the whisker marks on his face while his eyes turned to a deep sapphire blue.


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto and Yuna waited around the little shrine at the north end of the Emerald Forest after collecting a black King chess piece when Hana and Tamao arrived. Taking the other black King piece, they joined Yuna away from Naruto before he stood up. Walking over to them, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Stuff it," spat out Hana with a scowl, "We're not interested in your apologies, Gin."

 _"Well what do you want me to say?!"_ thought Naruto angrily, _"I apologized and apologized! I have done nothing but try and get back in your good graces since I asked us all to meet up again! What more do you want?!"_

"What we wanted was for you not to abandon us," said Yuna with an equally angry scowl on her face, "Just because you lost Pyrrha doesn't give you an excuse to just ditch us."

 _"Oh my lord,"_ thought Naruto in dismay before turning to Yuna, _"I have no right to tell people about our falling out?! You have no right to talk about Pyrrha when you don't even have the whole picture!"_

"And what is the whole picture, Gin?" questioned Tamao in a hostile tone, "Because of you, we lost everything!"

 _"We were all planning on leaving anyway!"_ exclaimed Naruto in exasperation, _"Besides, I don't think any of us wanted to come back but as it turns out, the artifact is in fact real."_

"And just where is the artifact?" questioned Hana as she got up in Naruto's face.

 _"In a place where Salem can't find it,"_ retorted Naruto, _"But what about you three?! I didn't want any part of that mission! I was perfectly happy with where I was! The only reason I got involved was because they were making more like us!"_

"And yet you didn't have it in you to kill the only successful one they made," said Yuna with a scoff, "All because the one they found compatible was your girlfriend."

Running his hands through his hair as he turned away, Naruto pulled his arms out of his robe and remove his top to reveal to them, not only the tattoo on his left arm, but also the countless scars, cuts, burns, and bruises that littered his body as well as the glyph carved into his back.

 _"I nearly died during that fight,"_ thought Naruto as he turned back to the others, _"I nearly died when I returned to the tribe as they tortured me in order to rejoin them. I nearly died fighting my own mother before we met up. I nearly died trying to contain each of you after you changed."_

"And who was it that did that?" questioned Hana as she stormed over to Naruto and picked him up by the neck, "You're the one that turned us into these things. You turned us into monsters, Naruto."

 _"Technically, I only turned two of you into monsters,"_ retorted Naruto as me appeared on the ground, out of Hana's grip and fully clothed, _"Yuna was already a monster before then because of her dear old mommy."_

"Don't bring my mother into this," said Yuna as she shot to her feet.

 _"Why shouldn't I?"_ questioned Naruto, _"You're all bringing Pyrrha into this so it's only fair that I bring in your loved ones. And why are you sticking up for her, Yunie? I thought you didn't like her."_

"She's still my mother," snapped Yuna as she and Naruto glared into each other's eyes, "Even if she is the leader of the White Fang, I love her for being a mother and not our supreme leader."

Naruto was about to retort when they all felt a sudden chill and looked toward the forest. Drawing their weapons, they each got ready to fight as something fast dashed out of the treeline.

* * *

Ozpin switched the footage to Ruby and Weiss, surprising Glynda by this.

"Why did you decide switch the footage?" she asked.

"Because it wouldn't be wise to watch them, given their… particular abilities," stated Ozpin with some thought going into his words.

"What abilities?" questioned Glynda.

"Abilities that will be revealed to everyone when they see fit to reveal them," said Ozpin as he sipped from his cup.

"That Yuna girl…" started Glynda, "Her mother is Sienna Khan?"

"And?" asked Ozpin like it didn't matter.

"You didn't think that the staff should know that the child of one of the most notorious criminals in the world is attending Beacon?" questioned Glynda with suspicion.

"Just because of the parent's crimes doesn't mean we should punish the children," reminded Ozpin, "Besides, they need to let out all that anger and resentment they're holding inside. Unless they can do that, they'll never be able to work together like they used to."

"What do you mean?" asked Glynda curiously.

"Do you recall that little ordeal with those elite soldiers of the White Fang two years?" asked Ozpin as he checked back on Naruto and his group.

"You mean with the Black Fang?" asked Glynda, "Everyone knows about it. It ended with the deaths of all four members of the group."

"Those four… those special children are the reasons for their deaths," informed Ozpin as he went and focused on Naruto.

* * *

Blake and Yang walked through the forest together when they heard the sound of someone out of breath. Following the sound, the looked around a tree to find Naruto was leaning against the tree with his robe torn and his sword out.

"What happened to you?" asked Yang.

 _"Hana, Tamao, Yuna, and I encountered an extremely rare and powerful Grimm where we were supposed to acquire those relics and were luring it away from there,"_ thought Naruto before he noticed the uncomfortable look on Blake's face, _"What you're hearing is my semblance."_

"Oh," said Blake as Naruto used his sword to pull himself to his feet.

Taking a step, Naruto fell forward but the two girls managed to catch him.

"You're in no condition to be walking," stated Blake in concern, "You should probably just sit the rest of this out."

Naruto was about to dispute this when he pushed the pair into some bushes and brought his sword up to block an invisible force that pushed him through the trees. Taking a deep breath, Naruto's hair over his right eye blew back and both his eyes turned into those of a Grimm. Holding up his hand, he gazed at the black mist that it was secreting. He raised his sword and struck something invisible that created a shockwave that knocked over several trees.

* * *

Yuna looked over her shoulder at the sudden breeze that struck her and hurried in the direction it came from. As she jumped through the trees, something caught her eye that made her look back. Heading back, she followed a red cape through the trees but managed to get in front of it and stopped in her tracks.

"Hello, Yuna," said Sienna Khan as she signed what she was saying.

Yuna darted forward and swiped at Sienna with her sword but went straight through her. Turning back to her mother, Yuna clenched her fists.

"Surely you haven't forgotten my semblance, have you?" questioned Sienna.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Yuna as she lowered her sword, knowing full well that while she couldn't harm Sienna, she couldn't harm her either.

"It took a lot of resources to track you down here," said Sienna as she walked up to and around her daughter, "You don't know how relieved I was to hear that you had survived that night."

"Cut the shit, mother," spat out Yuna, "Answer my question. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to check up on you," said Sienna as she placed a hand on Yuna's cheek, causing the girl to tense at the sudden cold sensation, "I want you back in the family business."

"Go to hell," snarled Yuna as she back away from the White Fang Supreme Leader, "After what you did two years ago, I'm never going back."

"Now, let's not start off our first meeting in two years like this," suggested Sienna as she took a seat on the ground, "I'm eager to hear what you've been up to."

"You tried to create artificial Nephilim," accused Yuna.

"Very well then," relented Sienna as she stood up again, "What of it?"

"You know very well how miserable all of us were when we were learning to control that kind of power," reminded Yuna with a scowl, "We nearly died close to a hundred times. The only reason we survived was because Gin had to step in to submit us."

"I'm surprised you're defending him when he's the one that turned you all into Nephilim in the first place," said Sienna.

"I've had enough of this," said Yuna as her sword glowed and she held it toward Sienna, "Leave me alone."

She cut through Sienna and made her vanish. Letting out a sigh, Yuna's sword vanished in a burst of black mist as she went off in search of the Grimm that she and the others were fighting. All the while, her mind kept drifting back to the last conversation she had with Sienna before this.

 **(Flashback ~2 Years Ago~)**

Yuna, wearing a long black robe, entered the throne room and knelt at the steps that led to her mother's throne.

"Leave us," ordered Sienna to her guards, who did as they were ordered.

Standing up, Yuna had a look of regret on her face. Holding out her hand, her sword appeared in a reverse grip before holding it out to Sienna.

"Speak, child," ordered Sienna as she was curious about what was going on.

"I'm done," said Yuna as she let go of the sword, letting it clatter to the ground.

"What do you mean you're done?" questioned Sienna.

"All of this," said Yuna as she gestured to the room, "All the pain, all the suffering, all of it. I'm done with the White Fang."

"I'd be very careful about your next choice of words," advised Sienna with a scowl on her face.

"I never wanted any of this, mother," confessed Yuna, "I wanted to move to Mistral. I wanted to open a bakery. I wanted a normal life."

"I'm sorry you feel that way but it's out of the question," said Sienna as she stood up and walked down to her daughter, "Your hands are tainted with blood. You have been a part of the most heinous crimes that we've ever committed. You murdered the matriarch of the Schnee family."

"I only did that because I wanted to make you proud," said Yuna as she began crying, "Ever since dad died, we've been on our own. The only time I ever saw you smile was when humans were suffering. I hated hurting them. Remember that human boy I used to play with when I was five, he wound up dead because of us."

Falling to her knees, Yuna hugged her mother's legs and sobbed.

"I just want to have a normal life again," said Yuna through her tears, "Please, mother."

Remaining silent, Sienna pulled her legs out of her daughter's arms then headed back to her throne.

"We can never have a normal life again," said Sienna as she took a seat while Yuna stifled her tears, "I expect you and the other members of the Black Fang to be prepared for your next mission."

"No," said Yuna as she felt her anger build.

"Excuse me?" asked Sienna in anger.

"I said I'm done!" yelled Yuna as she looked up at her mother with sad eyes that had tears barreling down her face, "I'm through with the Black Fang, the White Fang, all of it! I'm going to live how I want to from now on!"

Standing up, Yuna turned away and flipped her hood up as she headed out of the room.

"Yuna, get back here!" hollered Sienna, "Get back here, young lady! That's an order! Yuna!"

The doors slammed shut and Sienna gritted her teeth while digging her nails into her armrest. Taking several deep breaths, she held her head in dismay as three people in black robes identical to Yuna's appeared behind her.

"Keep an eye on her," ordered Sienna as the three vanished into the darkness.

Covering her eyes, a tear fell down her cheek.

 **(End Flashback)**

Ruby smiled down at Weiss, Blake, and Yang when she felt the ground under her crumble. The shock of it all forced made her let go of Crescent Rose as she fell through the air.

"Ruby!" exclaimed Yang in horror.

"Look!" exclaimed Weiss as she pointed up at the cliff Ruby had just fallen off of.

Everyone looked up just as Naruto dove off and sped down toward Ruby, the pair soon being covered by darkness.

"That idiot," remarked Yuna as she landed behind them, "He always tries to play the hero."

Yang made to jump off but was stopped by Hana holding her back with her semblance.

"Let go!" shouted Yang as he semblance also activated, "Ruby's probably hurt! Or worse!"

"No she's not," said Tamao as she walked up behind the group with Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora behind her, "Gin has too much pride to let others get hurt," she knelt down at the edge and lowered her head, "You'll soon find out a secret about Gin that will show you why he jumped in after her."

* * *

Ruby groaned as she came to and slowly pushed herself up. However, she was forced back to the ground with her eyes covered.

 _"Don't get up,"_ advised Naruto as he held her down, _"Don't even open your eyes or make a sound. Just think what you want to say and I'll be able to talk to you."_

 _"Naruto, what's going on?"_ thought Ruby in confusion.

 _"We're being stalked by a Mirror Grimm,"_ explained Naruto as continued to hold Ruby down, _"It was thought to be extinct for several hundred years but apparently, there's one left. It has the ability to take the shape of whatever lays eyes on it and use their skills as well. That's why I'm holding you down."_

 _"How do we beat it then?"_ thought Ruby quickly as she began getting worried.

 _"Ruby, I need you to do something for me,"_ thought Naruto as he placed his forehead on the back of Ruby's head.

 _"What?"_ thought Ruby.

 _"No matter what you hear, I need you to keep your eyes shut,"_ explained Naruto, _"Even if you hear something that terrifies you. Even if you feel warm breath on your neck. I need you to keep your eyes closed until I give you the okay."_

Ruby began hyperventilating and Naruto pulled her up and into a hug with her head in his shoulder.

 _"It's alright,"_ assured Naruto calmly, _"There's no way I'd allow you to get hurt. Do you trust me?"_

 _"Yes,"_ thought Ruby as she scrunched her eyes closed.

 _"Alright,"_ thought Naruto as he let go of Ruby and stood up, _"Remember what I said. Keep those eyes closed until I say otherwise."_

Turning around, Naruto came face to face with a pure black version of himself with his sword drawn. Naruto's hair blew back into his face as both his eyes turned into those of a Grimm while he held up his left hand, the tattoo glowing and like a wild fire, with his hand emitting a black mist.

" _Jouketsu,"_ thought Naruto as he threw his arm open, the mist engulfing him.

* * *

Yuna, Hana, and Tamao raised their heads and appeared surprised by the slight pressure they felt as the echoes of small explosions reach all their ears.

"Uh, what's that?" asked Jaune with slight fear in his voice.

"He actually used it?" muttered Yuna as she folded her arms and cupped her chin.

"Used what?" asked Ren as he had heard her.

"Something he swore never to use again," stated Tamao as the explosions stopped.

A flare went up into the sky and Tamao got to her feet.

"That's my cue," said Hana as her wings shot out of her back and flew down into the chasm.

* * *

 _"Ruby, you can open your eyes now,"_ thought Naruto as he lit a fire.

Ruby shakily opened her eyes to find that the fire had illuminated what seemed like a battlefield. She tried to get up but found that he leg was in a makeshift splint.

 _"It was broken so I put it in a splint while you were out,"_ explained Naruto as he poked the flames.

"Thanks," said Ruby as Naruto walked up to her.

Kneeling down, he held his hands over her leg and they began glowing.

 _"My semblance actually allows me to channel the Aura in my body into different forms and techniques,"_ explained Naruto, _"Telepathy is just one of the many ways I use it. Hana should be here soon."_

"So, what was that growling I heard?" asked Ruby curiously.

 _"Nothing you need to concern yourself with,"_ assured Naruto as he removed his hands and the glowing stopped, _"I managed to heal the torn tissue and mend the bone enough to become a fracture. Just give me a couple hours to replenish my Aura and I'll heal the rest of it."_

Dusting off his hands, Ruby saw under his bangs that covered his right eye.

"Your eye," said Ruby, catching Naruto's attention, "It's… just like mine."

Hana landed and walked up to them before examining Ruby's leg.

"That was pretty reckless of you to do that, Gin," warned Hana as she picked up both Ruby and Naruto then flew back up.

 **(Sometime Later)**

Naruto stood next to Yuna, Hana, and Tamao as Ozpin announced the teams and team names. So far, they had Team CRDL, Team JNPR, and Team RWBY. Finally, it was their turn and the four Faunus looked up at Ozpin.

"Naruto Branwen," stated Ozpin while Yang's and Ruby's gazes shot toward Naruto, "Yuna Khan. Hana Inoue. Tamao Kirishima. You four retrieve the Black King pieces. You shall be known as Team NYHT, led by Naruto Branwen."

The entire auditorium clapped but the Faunus in attendance froze when they saw the salute the four were doing. Their right arms crossed over their chests while their left arms with behind their back.

 _"That's the White Fang salute,"_ thought Blake in shock, _"Could they be in the White Fang?"_

 _"Not anymore,"_ said Naruto's voice in her head.

 **(After the Ceremony)**

"Naruto, hold up!" called out Ruby as she and Ruby ran up to the boy.

Turning around, Naruto calmly watched them stop in their tracks and give him serious looks.

"Your last name," stated Yang, "It's the same as my mother's."

 _"Very astute of you… sister,"_ thought Naruto as he leaned against the door of his Team NYHT's room.

"So, it's true then," said Ruby, "You're Yang's brother."

 _"Half-brother,"_ corrected Naruto, _"I'm part Faunus and she isn't."_

"Do you know where our mother is?" asked Yang a little forcefully.

 _"I haven't spoken to her since the night I stole this from her,"_ informed Naruto as he gestured to his sheathed weapon, _"I can only guess that she moved on from where she was staying so no. I don't know where she is."_

The door Naruto was leaning against opened up, causing him to fall down and made Ruby and Yang flinch.

"What are you doing, Gin?" asked Yuna as Naruto stood back up.

 _"I was talking to my family,"_ explained Naruto as he forced his shoulder back into its socket with a loud grunt.

"I can't believe you guys got the only room in the entire dormitory with a fireplace," whined Ruby before looking back at Naruto, "So, you wanna hang out tomorrow after classes?"

 _"I guess I could,"_ thought Naruto as he reached inside the doorway, _"By the way, here you go."_

He tossed Yang Crescent Rose and looked at Ruby.

"Hana went back and managed to grab that from the chasm," explained Yuna.

"Oh, thank you," said Ruby as she hobbled over to Naruto and gave him a hug.

Slightly taken aback, Naruto just gave Ruby a hug back and went inside Team NYHT's room. It was the standard dormitory room, only larger to make room for the fireplace on the wall. Hana and Tamao were lounging around after having made the beds bunk beds and Naruto started up a fire. Yuna closed the door as Naruto pulled out some pictures out of his pocket then began chucking them one by one into the flames. Stopping on the last one, Naruto held his head then sighed.

"Hey," said Naruto as he threw the photo at Hana.

Catching it, Hana looked at the photo then froze up. Yuna and Tamao came over and Yuna whispered what the photo was to Tamao. All three looked at Naruto, who just seemed distraught by having seen the photo. They went up to him and Hana held up the photo.

"Is this Pyrrha's?" she asked.

Remaining silent, Naruto nodded as he looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Was this right before you erased your time together?" questioned Yuna.

Nodding again, Naruto took the picture and tossed it into the fire with some more logs. Getting onto a top bunk, Naruto went to sleep while the other members of Team NYHT we looking extremely guilty. All the while, the flames began burning the photo. Soon, the image of him holding a young newborn had turned to ashes.


	6. Chapter 6

Tamao Kirishima opened her eyes and stared at the pitch black nothing that was there. Sitting up, she blinked, seeing the Aura of everything in the room and being able to make out shapes. Feeling a tingle in her shoulder, she sent a small surge of electricity to wake it up. However, the sensation remained as she got dressed and she, Hana, and Yuna all sat with Naruto around the fireplace.

"Where's the child right now?" asked Yuna.

 _"In Menagerie,"_ confessed Naruto, _"She's being raised by some people I trust and being kept off Salem's radar."_

"So, the child is why you left?" asked Hana in concern.

 _"The child is the first naturally born Nephilim in over a thousand years,"_ stated Naruto plainly, _"Given my abilities as well as Pyrrha's, the child's powers would be off the charts."_

"So, you left to make sure the child was hidden," guessed Tamao.

 _"That and I need time to find myself,"_ explained Naruto depressingly, _"After the Schnee Dust Rebellion, that was the second time I lost someone I cared about. Besides, I'm pretty sure Hana felt just as devastated when her parents died."_

"He's got me there," said Hana as she slumped in her chair, "I was devastated when my parents were killed."

 _"I kept the child from you three because I didn't know if I could trust anyone with information about its existence,"_ stated Naruto as he looked off to the side, _"I had researched Nephilim in ancient texts and tried to convince Pyrrha to abort the pregnancy. As you saw, she gave birth to the child and I just…"_

Hunching over, Naruto covered his ears and appeared to be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

 _"The moment I heard that child's cries and saw how happy Pyrrha was, I thought this must've been what my father felt like when my mother gave birth to me,"_ thought Naruto, _"I had to make sure that the child would be taken care of as well as be strong enough to deal with any problems that arose when raising it."_

Checking the clock on the wall, Naruto stood up.

 _"Well, we should get to class,"_ stated Naruto as everyone got to their feet.

Tamao took on step and slipped and fell to the side but managed to catch herself on the arm of a chair.

"Are you okay?" asked Hana as she helped Tamao up.

"Yeah," assured Tamao as she stood on her own, "Just a little light headed is all."

Team NYHT headed out the door and went to a locker room to get ready for their first class, Combat Training. Changing out of their uniforms for their regular gear, Naruto putting on a white t-shirt that exposed his tattoo and a pair of jeans and picking up his sword. They entered the amphitheater to find Goodwitch waiting with several other teams. Looking around, Naruto sighed.

 _"In three, two, one,"_ thought Naruto just as Team RWBY and JNPR finally arrived and out of breath just as the bell rang.

"Well, you eight made it but do you really intend to fight in your uniforms?" questioned Glynda in annoyance.

The eight chuckled nervously and quickly went and changed. Once they returned, they lined up with the other teams and Glynda examined them all.

"Now that everyone is here, it's time to evaluate your abilities in combat," stated Glynda, "Miss Schnee, you will be facing Mr. Branwen."

Team NYHT, minus Naruto, looked at each other in concern as Naruto and Weiss took their places on the stage. Weiss raised Myrtenaster while Naruto just folded his arms.

"What?" taunted Weiss, "Not going to draw your weapon?"

 _"I don't need to,"_ stated Naruto and glared at Weiss, _"You're not going to be able to even cut me."_

Weiss charged and Naruto simply sidestepped Myrtenaster. Weiss gritted her teeth as she backed away from Naruto and sent a stream of fire at him with a glyph. Brushing the flames, Naruto just gave Weiss a taunting smirk before she charged in again.

"Why doesn't he fight back?" wondered Nora as she ruffled her hair angrily.

"Because he doesn't see this as a challenge," replied Hana, "Naruto would only draw his sword if he finds someone strong to fight."

Weiss began panting as she started to lose strength in her legs and arms from all the attempts to land a blow to Naruto. She crated several gravity glyphs between her and Naruto then charged him again. Each time she stepped on a glyph, she sped up and turned into a white blur that shot by Naruto and managed to stop just before the end of the stage. Naruto felt cold air on his back and looked over his shoulder to see Weiss had managed to make a medium sized cut to his shirt but hadn't broken skin when he had dodged. Weiss turned back to Naruto and lowered her weapon.

"Your back…" stated Weiss and Naruto froze, "What was that on your back?"

Naruto grabbed the handle of his sword and Weiss just barely had enough time to back away from the swing of Naruto's sword. Feeling a burning at her throat, she reached up to her neck and felt a small cut.

"You just tried to kill me!" accused Weiss as Naruto charged again, backhanding her and sending her flying off the stage.

"Enough!" declared Glynda as she used her semblance to restrain Naruto.

Naruto grunted before he managed to break free of Goodwitch's semblance and charged Weiss with his sword pointed directly at her eye. Weiss froze in terror as the tip of the blade was just a couple centimeters from her eye when it was now on the ground. The other members of Team NYHT had pinned Naruto to the ground with Yuna holding her sword and Naruto's crossed over his neck and one foot on his back while Hana held his legs down and Tamao held an open palm in front of his face, which was crackling with electricity.

"You need to calm down, Gin," snapped Tamao, "You need to calm down."

Naruto struggled to free himself but then noticed Tamao's hand was trembling. He then also noticed that Tamao's complexion seemed to be a little pale.

"Tamao?" asked Naruto in concern.

Hana and Yuna looked at their teammate and let him get up just in time to catch the falling girl. Quickly speeding off, Naruto carried Tamao away with Yuna hot on their tail.

"I'll go make sure they're okay," said Hana as she headed toward the door while looking at Goodwitch, "No need to cancel class on us."

She left and hurried to catch up with her team.

 **(Two Hours Later)**

"He nearly killed another student!" exclaimed Glynda as she paced in front of Ozpin's desk, "If he wasn't for his team stopping him, Mr. Branwen would've killed Miss Schnee!"

"I advised you that it wasn't a good idea to pair them up," reminded Ozpin as he sipped out of his mug.

Taking a deep breath, Glynda turned toward Ozpin.

"How's Miss Kirishima?" she asked in concern.

"Stable for now," stated Ozpin calmly, "Luckily, her teammate managed to get her to the nurse's office before anything too serious happened."

"What was wrong with her?" asked Glynda.

Standing up, Ozpin went and stood at the window, looking out at Beacon.

"Miss Kirishima was involved in an accident when she was eight that nearly ended her life," explained Ozpin, "One night, her foster parents were arguing and she got hit in the head with a beer bottle."

"What?" asked Glynda in disbelief.

"She had a serious concussion and was in a coma for several days afterwards due to her developing a stroke," said Ozpin as he recalled the file he had read, "She wasn't expected to live for long after she woke up. But one day, she had passed all her tests with flying colors. She showed hardly any signs of the concussion or the stroke. It was called a miracle but Miss Kirishima said that an angel came in the night and healed her."

"What happened to her foster parents?" asked Glynda.

"Well, they were apparently murdered in their sleep," relayed Ozpin, "As far as I can recall, they never found the killer."

* * *

Tamao blinked slowly as the Aura of everything appeared in her eyes.

 _"This reminds me of the first time I met you,"_ thought Naruto as Tamao kept her gaze toward the ceiling, _"You were in this exact same position in the hospital."_

"It was you," stated Tamao calmly, "You were that angel that saved me."

 _"I was."_

"You also killed my foster parents."

 _"You upset about that?"_

"No," Tamao slowly placed her hand on the back of her head on the left side, "I'm glad their dead."

 _"That was risky,"_ stated Naruto plainly, _"Restraining me when your CTE is acting up."_

Sitting up, Tamao stared off into the distance in front of her, her hands shaking. Naruto placed a hand on hers, getting her to slowly calm down as he pulled something up from the ground. Helping Tamao with positioning her hands, Tamao strummed the guitar before tuning it a little. She started playing again and Naruto just listened. However, just as suddenly as she started, Tamao stopped and turned her head slightly in Naruto's direction.

"Why did you turn us into Nephilim?" questioned Tamao.

 _"I don't actually recall doing that at all,"_ confessed Naruto, _"However, you all didn't realize it but I had encountered each of you in the past and spent time with each of you. I was in the bed next to you in the hospital."_

Tamao started playing again just as Hana and Yuna entered. Together, they stayed with Tamao as she recalled the meeting Naruto was talking about.

 **(Flashback ~ 9 Years Ago ~)**

Tamao Kirishima looked up at the ceiling of her hospital room as she waited for her life to end. Feeling a hand on her head she looked to her side to see someone silhouetted by the moonlight.

 **"Be grateful that I'm saving an inferior being such as yourself,"** said the voice of the person.

The pain in Tamao's head quickly receded and the person removed their hand from her forehead.

"Are you… an angel?" she asked weakly.

 **"Call me what you wish,"** said the person disgruntingly as he picked up Tamao's guitar and started to play, **"What made you like this?"**

"My parents…" said Tamao as her vision was blurry, "I got hit by a beer bottle."

As she started to drift off into unconsciousness, the person stopped playing and stood up.

 **"Listen to me,"** said the person as they sat the guitar down, **"If you die here, you're just another name on the list of Faunus that humans have hurt. Nobody will care about you. You'll be nothing."**

Tamao felt something puncture her chest for an instant before it was gone with something cold filling it.

 **"Fight,"** said the person angrily, **"Fight for your life. Show them that you're not worthless. Show them that you are stronger than them. Show them."**

The person turned into a black mist and shrunk to her size.

 _"Live and show the power you have,"_ said the voice inside her head as the person got into the bed next to her and fell asleep at the same time Tamao did.

 **(End Flashback)**

Tamao finished playing and Hana as well as Naruto clapped while Yuna just sat there. Taking a deep breath, Tamao held onto Naruto for support before getting out of bed. Turning her head to Naruto, she gave him a small smile.

 _"Thank you, Naruto,"_ thought Tamao as Team NYHT headed to their room.

 **(That Night)**

Naruto sat out in the courtyard of Beacon and stared up at the stars.

"Out stargazing are we?" asked Ozpin as he took a seat next to the boy.

 _"What do you want?"_ questioned Naruto as he continued to look at the stars.

"I heard about that little incident with Miss Schnee," related Ozpin.

 _"She saw the glyph,"_ thought Naruto angrily, _"Call it a reflex but after working in a Schnee mine, you tend to kill any Schnee that can use glyphs before they can activate that particular one."_

"This about the Schnee Dust Rebellion?" questioned Ozpin, "Your father?"

 _"I'd be very careful with your next choice of words,"_ warned Naruto, _"It's been a thousand years since you last fought one of my kind."_

"I am out of practice when it comes to Nephilim but I can manage for a bit," stated Ozpin as he held up his cane, "I'll be supervising your detention for the next several days while you tutor various students."

He got up and walked off while Naruto just sat there and images flashed through his mind. His father taking care of him. His father taking his punishment for not working for him. His father… falling lifelessly to the floor after that Schnee woman activated the glyph on his back. The riot that followed. Countless people falling into pools of blood while he escaped through a small tunnel he had dug. Trudging through the snow. Shivering. Freezing. Raven's warm arms embracing him after what felt like an eternity. Standing up, he headed back to his dorm room. But not before punching a lamp post and breaking it in half.

 **(The Next Day)**

After a rather uneventful day of classes, Naruto went to the classroom Ozpin was waiting in with the student Naruto was supposed to tutor. Opening the door, Naruto nearly flew into a rage when he saw Weiss was there.

"Professor, what's he doing here?" questioned Weiss as she quickly backed away from Naruto.

"Mr. Branwen here is going to be your mentor in Grimm Studies," explained Ozpin.

"But he tried to kill me yesterday," complained Weiss as Naruto continued to glare at her.

"You don't have to worry about that happening," assured Ozpin, "I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen again."

Weiss took several minutes before taking a seat close to Ozpin. Naruto went and sat behind Weiss before putting his feet up on the desk.

 _"What do you need help with?"_ demanded Naruto coldly.

"W-Well, based on my participation in Professor Port's class, I n-n-need to improve my knowledge about Grimm," explained Weiss as she looked back at Naruto.

 _"Don't look at me,"_ snapped Naruto, causing Weiss's head to snap forward, _"Well, for starters, you need to forget everything you learned from your sister and other so called "experts". They don't know shit about Grimm."_

Weiss swallowed the lump in her throat and began sweating at the pressure that was upon her.

 _"First off, tell me what you know of Nephilim,"_ demanded Naruto with malice laced in his voice.

"N-Nephilim?" asked Weiss as she kept her gaze off.

 _"Of course you haven't heard of them,"_ spat out Naruto, _"Nobody studies something that ancient. Nephilim are beings that have been infected with the essence of Grimm and become part Grimm themselves."_

"Th-They become Grimm?" stuttered Weiss.

 _"It was rumored that four Nephilim appeared five years ago,"_ stated Naruto as he walked down to Weiss and leaned over her shoulder, _"In fact, you may have seen one. Remember, Weiss? You were hiding in a closet. Someone came into your mother's study. It came up behind her, raising its weapon. As soon as lightning struck outside, your mother's head was on the ground in front of you. The blood from your mother's skull flowing and staining the floor. The smell of rust reaching your brain. The feel of it as it touched your bare feet."_

Weiss ran from the room and Naruto stood back up.

"I don't recall scaring students as part of tutoring," stated Ozpin as he cast Naruto a concerned glance.

 _"In order to face Grimm, she mustn't have any fear,"_ thought Naruto as he picked up Weiss's scroll that she had left behind.

"I don't ever recall hearing that Mrs. Schnee had been murdered," said Ozpin.

 _"That's because after I did it, I used my other ability to reverse what I had done,"_ explained Naruto as he headed for a door, _"Besides, I owed her."_

* * *

Weiss panted as she slammed the door shut and everyone looked at the panicked look on her face.

"Weiss, what's wrong?" asked Ruby in concern.

Weiss shoved Ruby aside and climbed under the blankets then covered her head as she got into a fetal position. They all looked at each other before Blake went up to Weiss. Placing a hand on her, Weiss instantly swatted it away and began shaking.

"Alright, let's start girls' night!" exclaimed Hana as she entered the room with Tamao and Yuna.

"What happened to her?" asked Yuna when they all saw Weiss was in bed.

"She came back from her tutoring session like this," explained Yang as they all looked at Weiss.

"Goddammit," cursed Tamao in annoyance as Hana went over to Weiss.

Sitting on the bed, she sighed and looked at the floor.

"Have any of you heard of the Schnee Dust Rebellion?" she asked Team RWBY.

"It's one of the rallying cries of the White Fang," said Blake to the surprise of her teammates, "According to the story, twelve years ago, at one of the major mines owned by the Schnee family, the Faunus slaves revolted and destroyed the mine at the cost of the lives of all the Faunus slaves there. "Remember the Rebellion!" "For the Rebellion!" Those are the calls of the White Fang in Atlas."

"But slavery is illegal in Remnant," stated Yang.

"Did you really think that Atlas cared about that?" questioned Tamao as she took a seat at one of the desks while Yuna leaned against the wall, "Atlas is the most discriminatory country to Faunus in the world. Only those that attend Atlas Academy are treated as equals. Even then, they are extremely rare as illegal slave owners rarely allow slaves to attend it."

"Faunus in Atlas are treated worse than Grimm," relayed Yuna, "They are forced to work like they did before the Great War with little to no food, water, or rest."

"With those that died in the Rebellion, they were each marked with a glyph that, once activated, would kill the one branded with it," explained Hana, "The Rebellion was caused when the father of a young Faunus was killed for neglecting his duties to take care of his sick son."

"Sick son?" asked Ruby before it dawned on her, "Wait. Was Naruto…?"

"Gin was that very child," confessed Hana, "The sole survivor of the Schnee Dust Rebellion. He watched as his father was murdered by a student of the Atlas Academy, Winter Schnee."

Weiss sat up and looked at Hana in disbelief before heading out.

"Weiss, wait!" exclaimed Ruby as Weiss left.

"Where do you think she's going?" asked Blake.

"With any hope, she's going to talk to Gin," stated Tamao as she began listening to music.

 **(Five Minutes Later)**

Weiss stepped into an elevator of the CCT Tower with the doors closing behind her.

"Communications room," stated Weiss coldly as the elevator started moving.

Once it stopped, Weiss went up to the hologram at the reception desk.

"Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit Center," greeted the hologram with a smile, "How may I help you?"

"I need to make a call to Schnee Company World Headquarters in Atlas," stated Weiss.

"Absolutely," said the hologram, "If you head over to terminal 9, I'll patch you right through."

Weiss walked over to the terminal and sat down in front of the screen. Taking a deep breath, the screen came to life.

"Thank you for calling Atlas…" began the woman that answered the call when she saw Weiss, "Oh! Miss Schnee! Good afternoon!"

"Patch me through to my sister," ordered Weiss seriously.

"Uh, your sister is actually in a meeting," explained the woman nervously.

"I don't care," said Weiss angrily, "Just do it."

"Just… just one moment please," said the woman as she was put on hold.

A moment later, the image of a woman that looked like an older version of Weiss came on the screen.

"Weiss, I'm a little busy at the moment," explained Winter.

"I know about the rebellion at the mine twelve years ago, Winter," stated Weiss angrily.

"Hold on one second," said Winter as she put Weiss on hold before coming back a moment later, "How do you know about that?"

"The son of that Faunus you killed is one of the students here," stated Weiss as she clenched her hands, "He was sick that day and you killed his father for taking care of him."

"Weiss, there are somethings you don't understand," stated Winter before Weiss cut her off.

"I thought I knew our family before now!" shouted Weiss at Winter, "You always taught me that while we are Schnee, you should always help others that need it! Yet you killed someone that was trying to take care of a child! I have never seen such a hypocrite in my life!"

"Weiss, this is an open line," said Winter as she looked around.

"Like I care!" yelled Weiss as everyone around her began looking at her, "You killed that boy's father without mercy! And I thought having to deal with mother and father fighting all the time was bad! You're nothing but a cold hearted bitch!"

Weiss ended the call and headed downstairs. Once down in the lobby, she left and found Naruto waiting at the foot of the stairs that led up to the CCT Tower.

"I'm sorry about your father," said Weiss nervously as she bowed to Naruto, "I'm sorry I can't do anything about what happened then."

Naruto remained silent as he folded his arms and glared at Weiss out of the corner of his eye.

"When I inherit the company, I promise that I'll make it so Faunus aren't ever treated like that again," promised Weiss as she stood back up.

When Naruto said nothing, Weiss started to leave as Naruto stood up.

 _"My father wasn't killed because he was taking care of me,"_ thought Naruto as Weiss turned back to him, _"He and your mother were corresponding to one another. They were… seeing each other."_

Weiss stopped breathing as Naruto walked up to her and stared into her very soul.

 _"Your mother was planning on leaving your father and taking the company back from him,"_ explained Naruto, _"The day before they were going to do that, your father ordered my father's death because someone let him know what was going on. You and I, Weiss, were almost siblings."_

Weiss was dumbstruck by this revelation as Naruto walked by her.

 _"You bring up my father around me again and I won't miss your retina next time,"_ warned Naruto as he headed off to clear his head.

* * *

"So?" asked Ozpin as he watched Naruto walk away from Weiss from his office.

"It's just as you expected," stated Glynda, "His Aura levels are almost those of a Maiden's. Which can only mean one of two things. Either he's extremely lucky or…"

"He's the son of a Maiden," stated Ozpin, "And the results of the other test?"

"50%," reported Glynda, "He is Raven's child."

"So, we had a Maiden with us the entire time," muttered Ozpin, "Have Qrow try and locate Raven."

Glynda nodded and left the room. Ozpin looked down at Naruto again to see he was looking right up at him.

 _"You are very interesting, Naruto Branwen,"_ thought Ozpin as he knew Naruto was listening to his thoughts, _"Or should I say Leader of the Black Fang, Kronos?"_

Naruto looked away and continued walking, thinking back to that fateful day.

 **(Flashback ~ 12 Years Ago ~)**

A young boy of five trudged through the frozen flurry as he tried to stay warm. Finally giving into the chilling snow around him, the boy collapsed and fell to his knees. He then looked up and saw a woman with long coal black hair and fierce red eyes under a helmet that looked like a Grimm's mask staring at him.

"P-P-Please," begged the frigid boy, "S-S-S-So c-c-c-c-cold."

The weather cleared in a matter of seconds as the boy felt the warm sun upon his skin. Still shaking, the boy looked up at the woman as she swung her sword creating a red portal behind her. The woman made to leave when the boy grabbed her hand.

"Please, don't leave me," begged the boy through frozen tears, "They killed Daddy."

The woman looked away for a moment before picking the boy up and walking with him through the portal.


	7. Chapter 7

Team NYHT stood back from everyone as they watched Jaune of Team JNPR sparring Cardin of Team CRDL. Seeing Jaune getting beat up, they analyzed his movements before Yuna closed her eyes.

"How did he even get into Beacon?" she wondered aloud.

"Most likely he forged his test results and transcripts," suggested Tamao as Hana stretched.

"Well, at least this won't be going on much longer," said Hana as she did some shadowboxing, "I'm up next against Yang."

 _"Please try not to kill her,"_ thought Naruto in annoyance, _"I would really hate having to hold another funeral."_

"No promises, Gin," said Hana as Goodwitch ended the match between the two boys and went up toward the stage.

After the pair had left the stage, Hana and Yang got up and faced each other. Yang got into a fighting stance while Hana just stood there and smirked. Images of the Aura gauges appeared above them and Goodwitch started the match. Yang charged in with several punches that apparent didn't do anything to harm to Hana.

"Come on, Yang!" called out Ruby as she cheered for her sister, "Kick her butt!"

Naruto couldn't help but smirk in amusement as Ruby cheered a losing battle. While Hana couldn't use her semblance, she had been given an ability thanks to one of their old adventures. She could cancel out the momentum of anything that hit her and shatter it with ease. Obviously, since Yang was on the ground crying out in pain, Naruto could only assume she wasn't using it to that degree. The blond on the stage went in for a kick but Hana grabbed her leg then threw her down to the ground where she skidded across the floor for a few seconds.

"I win this battle, Yang," stated Hana in a cocky tone.

"It's not over yet!" yelled Yang angrily as her eyes turned red and her Aura flared up.

Charging forward, she landed a solid left hook with extra force behind it from Ember Celica and sent Hana flying back. This surprised Team NYHT and Hana panted as she started to leak a barely noticeable black mist from her body. Naruto shot to his feet as he prepared to step in before the mist receded and Hana got back up. Chuckling, Hana walked up to Yang casually and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That was a nice punch," said Hana as Yang fell unconscious, "But you need to be more aware of your weaknesses."

The lights came back on and Ruby rushed onto the stage to check on her sister. Naruto came up onto the stage as well and began healing the unconscious girl.

 _"She's just unconscious,"_ assured Naruto as examined Yang, _"Hana just pinched a nerve that knocked her out."_

"You sure?" asked Ruby as Naruto removed his hands.

 _"I'm sure,"_ stated Naruto as he walked by Hana and dragged her outside by the back of her collar.

Going around the corner, Naruto threw her gently against the wall and frowned as Yuna and Tamao joined them.

"What the hell was that?" asked Yuna with concern, "You almost went Grimm in there."

"Sorry," apologized Hana sheepishly, "I got a little carried away there."

"A little?" questioned Tamao, "We almost stepped in to keep you down."

 _"Hana, I know it's hard for you to keep Lunar down,"_ thought Naruto in concern, _"But if Lunar were to take over, we'd not only have to reveal ourselves but we'd be hunted down again. None of us want that."_

"I know," said Hana with a sigh before slumping against the wall and looking off to the side, "Sometimes, I just wish I could go back to that caravan in Vacuo."

 **(Flashback ~ 10 Years Ago ~)**

A young Hana yawned as she climbed out of the caravan and walked over to the fire to get her breakfast.

"And how are you today, Hana?" asked the kind elderly lady that was serving breakfast to everyone.

"A little tired," said Hana as she rubbed her eyes before taking her oatmeal and going over to some other people to get berries and sugar for her meal.

Once finished, Hana went and sat with the other children then began eating. As she did, she looked at her bracelet to give it a smile.

"So, Hana which stall do you want to help in the next town with?" asked one of the girls.

"I was thinking about helping the Elder Sapphire," said Hana with a smile, "I haven't asked her yet but I just love all those things people bring to the stall for trade."

"You better hurry," said a boy, "I hear that Shou is going to ask Elder Sapphire before we pack up and head toward town."

Hana quickly began scarfing down her food but apparently forgot to swallow. Grabbing her canteen, she drank heavily from it, forcing the food to go down while all the children laughed at her.

 **(End Flashback)**

Team NYHT sat with Team RWBY and JNPR during lunch when the sound of Team CRDL harassing someone reached their ears. Looking over her shoulder, Hana saw Cardin and his team harassing Velvet Scarlatina, a second year Rabbit Faunus like Tamao, only with brown ears instead of white.

"Naruto…" said Hana in concern.

 _"Hold on,"_ thought Naruto as he sighed before suddenly changing to be in the middle of drinking some milk.

Back with Cardin and his team, Cardin was hit by a flying tray while two of his teammate broke through the table like they were flipped and the fourth on the bench he had been standing on and landed hard on his back. The entire cafeteria laughed at this while Velvet just hurried away in embarrassment.

 _"Go see if you can comfort her,"_ suggested Naruto to Hana as he continued to eat, _"She probably doesn't have many friends here outside of her team."_

Hana hurried off after Velvet while Naruto continued to cast quick glances at Pyrrha.

"Velvet, hold on!" called out Hana as she approached the girl.

"Huh?" asked Velvet as she turned to Hana.

"I'm sorry about what happened back there with Cardin," said Hana with a warming smile, "I can assure you that he won't be doing things like that to you again."

"Okay…" said Velvet quietly.

"Oh, I completely forgot," said Hana as she held out her hand, "I'm…"

"I know who you are," said Velvet with a little fear in her voice, "You and the rest of your team made a little of people uncomfortable at orientation with that salute."

"Sorry about that," apologized Hana sheepishly, "We hadn't been in the White Fang for two years but I guess old habits die hard."

"So, you were in the White Fang?" questioned Velvet as she slowly backed away.

Hana grabbed Velvet by the wrist and pulled her down the hall and into a bathroom.

"Sorry about that," apologized Hana as she closed the door behind them, "It is a little dangerous to talk about those things in the open."

"Oh, sorry," apologized Velvet as she stared at the floor.

"It's nothing," assured Hana, "To answer your question, while I was in the White Fang, I was mostly doing Intel gathering. The only illegal thing I ever did was steal some documents."

"So… why did you leave?" asked Velvet.

"I burned out," said Hana as she went and washed her hands, "It happens to everyone. Besides, we also did that salute to let all the Faunus here that we're going to protect them. You can thank Gin for doing that stuff to Cardin and his team."

"Gin?" asked Velvet as Hana dried off her hands.

"It's Naruto's pet name," said Hana as she turned back to Velvet, "If you want, Gin's going to be hanging out with his family here later tonight. You could stop by our room if you want to talk about anything. Even my team's… old life."

Heading out, Velvet looked at the ground before looking at a mirror and pulling up her shirt to look at the scar that went across her abdomen.

 **(Flashback ~ 10 Years Ago ~)**

"Where do you get these feathers?" asked a woman in her thirties as she examined the dream catcher.

"That's a trade secret," said the old lady tending the stall before exchanging the dream catcher for some small dust crystals.

Taking the crystals into the building they used, they she saw Hana plucking feathers off her black wings.

"You should slow down, dear," said the old lady, "You're not going to be able to fly if you keep plucking yourself."

"But those dream catchers make everyone so happy," argued Hana while pouting, "I just love to see people happy."

The old lady smirked and ruffled Hana's hair.

"Why don't you take a break?" suggested the old lady, "I'm gonna close up for lunch. You should go see the town."

"Okay," said Hana as she retracted her wings then went outside.

Taking a deep breath as she smiled, her wings shot out of her back and she took off into the sky. Laughing as she flew over the desert town, Hana took in the horizon before going higher. Heading above the clouds, she looked at the blue sky as she lavished the feeling of the sun on her sky and wind in her face.

 **(End Flashback)**

"YOU DID WHAT?!" yelled Tamao at the top of her lungs.

 _"I've never been happier to be deaf,"_ thought Yuna as Naruto hand his hands against his ears.

 _"I wish I had that instead of not being able to talk,"_ thought Naruto as his ears were still ringing, _"At least all the rooms are soundproof."_

"YOU TOLD HER WE WERE IN THE WHITE FANG?!" yelled Tamao in Hana's face.

"I was told to try and become her friend," argued Hana, "Trust is a part of being a friend."

 _"To be specific, I said to comfort her,"_ thought Naruto as he tried to get some sensation back into his ears that he swore should be bleeding, _"This just had to happen on a day I'm spending with Team RWBY."_

Going to the closet, Naruto switched into his casual clothes and adjusted his hair so that it covered his eye.

 _"I'll pass by Team CFVY's room and plant a suggestion into Velvet's head to have her come here tonight,"_ explained Naruto before he looked at Hana, _"Be careful about what you say this time. If she tries to talk to anyone, we're going to have to kill her."_

Leaving the room, Naruto sighed and he began making his way to Team CFVY's room. Passing by the room, Naruto seemed to freeze mid step before he continued on with a faint black mist leaking from his left hand. Continuing to Team RWBY's room, he felt something pulling at the back of his head and followed the feeling up to the roof. Pyrrha came inside and appeared to be grieving.

 _"You okay?"_ asked Naruto, causing Pyrrha to turn around.

"It's Jaune," said Pyrrha.

 _"I know,"_ thought Naruto and felt Pyrrha about to ask how, _"Read minds. Remember?"_

"Oh yeah," said Pyrrha as Naruto walked with her, "Jaune keeps trying to do things on his own but I just want him to realize that it's okay to ask for help."

 _"Pyrrha, Jaune is just under a lot of pressure,"_ explained Naruto, _"His entire family expected him to be live up to his family legacy. While I try to get away from my legacy, Jaune tries to embrace his. You just need to give him time,"_ he took Pyrrha's hand and looked into her deep green eyes, _"Trust me, he cares about you all. He just needs time to realize it himself."_

"You sure," asked Pyrrha as Naruto brushed her cheek.

 _"I'm positive,"_ thought Naruto with a loving smile before continuing on his way.

 **(Ten Minutes Later)**

Velvet knocked on the door of Team NYHT's room and slowly opened it.

"Hello?" she asked nervously as she peeked inside.

"Hey, Velvet," said Hana as she pulled Velvet inside and closed the door.

"I heard you guys were the only ones with a fireplace," remarked Velvet when she saw the fireplace.

"It's pretty nice when it gets cold," said Tamao as she was moving her hands across the pages of a book.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Hana as she went to make some tea.

"Well, what was it like?" asked the elder student.

"A living hell," said Yuna as she looked up from cleaning her sword, "I personally hated having to spill all that blood."

"I hated the fact that I couldn't see the faces of those bastards that were mistreating Faunus," remarked Tamao coldly.

"Tamao's foster parents were humans and nearly killed her," explained Hana when she saw the scared look on Velvet's face.

Walking over to Yuna, the Rabbit Faunus stared at the younger girl.

"Yes?" questioned Yuna as she looked up at the girl.

"You're Sienna Khan's daughter, aren't you?" asked Velvet.

"What of it?" asked Yuna as she got back to cleaning her sword while keeping her eyes on Velvet.

"What was she like?" asked Velvet curiously.

"She was a bitch," replied Yuna as she looked back down at her sword.

"Oh," said Velvet disappointingly.

"But she did care about her kind," added Yuna, "While she is for violent measures against humans, she is flat out against the murder of children. It was one of her cardinal rules to harm children. The White Fang was allowed to kidnap them but never to bring them harm. Any who disobeyed mother's edicts were hunted down and slain by the Black Fang."

"That's another thing I'm curious about," stated Velvet a little bit more confidently, "I was never in the White Fang but all Faunus have heard rumors and legends of the Black Fang. Did they actually exist?"

"They're real alright," said Hana depressingly as she started doing her homework, "The Devils of Remnant. The Butchers of Vale. The Scoundrels of Mistral. The Mafia of Atlas. The Monsters of Vacuo. These were all names for the Black Fang, Sienna's elite guard. She trusted them with only the most important and secretive missions. None have actually seen what they look like but there are rumors that they're ancient creatures called Nephilim."

"What's a Nephilim?" asked Velvet with her head tilted as she took a seat by the fire.

"They're an extinct species that died out over a thousand years ago," answered Tamao as she continued reading, "They are beings injected with the essence of Grimm and given powers that are compared to those of the gods."

"And the Black Fang were these… Nephilim?" questioned Velvet as her curiosity started to get the better of her.

"Those are the rumors," replied Tamao, "However, the Black Fang died two years ago in Atlas when the building they were in collapsed on top of them."

"Did you ever meet any of them?" asked Velvet a little more eagerly.

"We saw them once," recalled Hana, "There was Ghoul the Butcher, Neko the Shade, Lunar the Destroyer, and their leader, Kronos the Spirit."

* * *

Naruto shivered as he played Remnant: The Game with Team RWBY while Weiss was studying.

"You okay, little brother?" taunted Yang playfully.

 _"Yeah,"_ thought Naruto as he examined his cards, _"I guess someone must be talking about me."_

He placed down two cards and Ruby cried cartoonishly as she had been knocked out of the game.

"Hey, Naruto, I've been meaning to ask you something," said Ruby, "Why don't you just get Weiss to remove that glyph on your back?"

Everyone froze as the temperature in the room suddenly became freezing as Naruto placed down another card and took Blake out of the game.

 _"Only the one that branded me with the glyph can remove it,"_ explained Naruto as he shot a scowl at Weiss, _"Besides, even if she could, it requires the one who cast it to not have any ill will toward the one that's branded."_

Naruto tossed his cards on the ground and went to sit on a bed. Running his hands through his hair, Naruto took deep breaths as he tried to calm down.

"Has anyone ever told you that your right eye looks like Ruby's?" asked Blake.

 _"It should,"_ thought Naruto, _"It's her mother's."_

"What?" asked Ruby and Yang at the same time.

 _"I said this eye once belonged to Summer Rose,"_ stated Naruto, _"And before you get the wrong idea, I got this after Summer died and no, mother did not kill her."_

"So, why do you have it?" asked Yang.

 _"I lost my eye when I was attacked by a Grimm shortly after mother collected me from Atlas,"_ explained Naruto, _"Summer was about to be buried and the day before, mother took one of Summer's eyes and gave it to me."_

"So, our mother desecrated a body just to get an eye?!" exclaimed Yang angrily as her semblance activated.

 _"I was weak and on the verge of death from those five years in the mine,"_ thought Naruto regretfully, _"Mother had told me that the eye belong to a dear friend of hers, whose spirit would help me get better. A few days later, I started feeling better and was able to walk without pain for the first time in my life,"_ he gazed at Yang with a look of detachment, _"Not a day goes by that I don't thank Summer for helping me get better. One year, mother let me visit Patch and I laid flowers on Summer's grave as well as lit a candle as a thank you for helping me get stronger. I've never taken it for granted and will never forget that she's a part of me now."_

 **(Flashback ~ 10 Years Ago ~)**

Hana calmly landed on the ground after flying about as night began to set in. Retracting her wings, the young girl headed for camp when a pair of hands grabbed her from the shadows. She tried to scream but her mouth was covered as she was tied up and a gag placed in her mouth. The group of men that had abducted her threw her into a wagon and drove off into the desert.

"This little bitch will fetch us a pricey penny," commented one of the men.

"What do you say we have a little fun with her before we hand her over to the boss?" suggested on of the men lewdly.

 _"Someone… please help me,"_ thought Hana through tears.

An explosion hit the wagon and sent them all flying while also killing the horses. Hana landed hard on the sand and rolled for a moment before looking up at the flaming wreckage. Quaking in fear, Hana watched as what seemed like a humanoid green dragon with a double-bladed bone sword gutted the men that had kidnapped her before looking at her. Hana tried to scoot away as the creature got closer and closer. The creature raised its sword and Hana shut her eyes, waiting for the pain to hit. But it never came. Opening her eyes, she saw the ropes binding her were cut and the creature had turned away. A red portal appeared in front of the creature as it looked back at Hana then went through, the portal closing an instant later. Hana released her wings then flew back toward town but looked on in horror at what she saw. The town had been engulfed in flames.

 **(End Flashback)**

Several days after the night with he spent with Team RWBY, Naruto was walking with his team as well as the other freshmen, escorted by Goodwitch, into a forest by the school. Jaune was in the back carrying the bottles they would use to collect sap for Professor Peach. Team NYHT quickly got their jars and went off to collect sap while Goodwitch continued explaining.

 _"So, how did it go with Velvet the other night?"_ thought Naruto to his team.

"Well, she's not going to tell anyone about us," said Yuna.

"That just proves she's a great friend," said Hana as the area started to fill up with people.

Naruto looked to his left and saw Pyrrha seemed down.

 _"You okay?"_ asked Naruto as he walked over to Pyrrha.

 _"It's Jaune,"_ thought Pyrrha in worry, _"He's been hanging out with Cardin a lot recently."_

 _"It may have something to do with Cardin blackmailing him over his faking of his records to enter Beacon,"_ thought Naruto as he helped Pyrrha with her jar.

 _"How did Cardin find out?"_ questioned Pyrrha as Naruto continued helping her.

 _"He was on the floor below you two when you were on the roof,"_ explained Naruto as he removed the pipe from the tree and plugged it up, _"Listen, Jaune is just confused about his place in the world. Like I said before, you need to give him time. Once he finds out who he is, he'll become the leader you know he is."_

A loud growl reached the ears of everyone in the clearing and they all looked around.

"Did everyone just hear that?" asked Ruby.

"Ursa!" shouted one of Cardin's teammates, "Ursa!"

"What?!" exclaimed Yang as she grabbed the man by the shirt, "Where?!"

"Back there!" exclaimed the man as he pointed behind him, "It's got Cardin!"

Naruto looked at his team and all four of them nodded. They ran in the direction that the Ursa with Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha right behind them. The stopped on the edge of the clearing to watch jaune fight the Ursa while protecting Cardin just as the others came up next to them. Weiss made to join in the fight but Tamao held her hand out to stop her. Pointing forward, Weiss watched as Jaune got beat up by the Ursa but continued fighting regardless.

"If we were to help Jaune, what would become of his pride?" asked Yuna, "If we help him now, it would probably save his life. However, you'd be killing his pride at the same time."

 _"There are two types of battles, and as long as we place ourselves in battle, we must always be aware of the differences between the two,"_ explained Naruto to everyone as they watched, _"Battles to protect lives and battle to protect pride. Right now, Jaune is fighting for pride. His family's pride. His own pride. And above all… his pride for Pyrrha."_

Everyone turned to Naruto at that remark to find he was looking at the ground and seemed crestfallen.

 _"Deep down, Pyrrha, Jaune is in love with you,"_ explained Naruto like he had lost all hope but was forcing himself to sound happy, _"He has been since that talk you two had on the roof last night."_

Everyone looked back toward Jaune to see he was extremely exhausted and getting to his feet. Jaune and the Ursa charged each other when Pyrrha noticed Jaune was lowering his shield unconsciously. A faint black Aura appeared on her hand, catching the eyes of Team NYHT, and she flicked it as Jaune's shield was raised up enough to block the Ursa's paw. With one swing, Jaune decapitated the Ursa and the body fell to the ground.

"You used your semblance, Pyrrha," stated Tamao calmly.

"Just to raise his shield a little," confessed Pyrrha gently.

"Her semblance?" asked Ruby with her head tilted to the side.

"Pyrrha has the power of magnetism," explained Yuna, "She can control metal."

"That's cool," stated Ruby like she wasn't all there.

They watched as Jaune told off Cardin and began walking away when the sound of an elephant trumpeting reached their ears.

 _"Yuna!"_ thought Naruto as Team NYHT ran into the clearing.

Yuna grabbed Cardin and whisked him away as a Goliath came charging through the trees. Hana managed to push Jaune away in time as the Goliath ran into her. Using her enormous strength, Hana managed to only get pushed back a couple of feet before matching the Goliath with her full strength. Roaring in anger, she shoved the Goliath back several yards as Naruto ran between Hana and the enormous Grimm. Holding one hand out to stop Hana from attacking and another out toward the Grimm, he stared the creature down as he trumpeted again and stared into Naruto's eyes. Pyrrha, meanwhile, flinched as a sharp pain hit her in the back of the head when she saw Naruto doing that.

 _"Have… Have I seen this before?"_ she wondered.

"How is Naruto doing that?!" exclaimed Ruby in disbelief as she watched the Goliath calm down right before her eyes.

"It's almost like he's tamed it," remarked Weiss.

 _"It's okay,"_ thought Naruto as he touched the Grimm's mind while slowly and cautiously moving closer, _"You don't want to hurt anybody here."_

He slowly reached out his hand and touched the Goliath's trunk, stunning everyone but Team NYHT.

 _"There you go,"_ thought Naruto as he stroked the trunk, _"I don't want to have to kill you. Leave us and I'll forgive this transgression."_

The Goliath turned around and slowly went on its way and soon vanished into the trees.

"That! Was! Awesome!" exclaimed Ruby as she hurried over to Naruto and began bouncing up and down like a child getting a new toy, "What did you do?! It was like you and that Grimm were connected!"

 _"Simple psychology,"_ explained Naruto as Goodwitch and the others arrived, _"I established dominance and convinced the Goliath to retreat without incident."_

He looked over at Pyrrha, who was still dealing with the remaining pain in her head.

 **(That Night)**

Pyrrha headed downstairs to her room to have some pancakes when she passed by Naruto in the hallway.

"You want to join us for pancakes?" she asked as she stopped and turned toward the blond.

 _"Maybe latter,"_ declined Naruto before he looked in the direction Pyrrha came from, _"Can I talk to you in private for a moment?"_

"Uh, sure," said Pyrrha as she had been taken by surprise by the request.

Naruto led Pyrrha outside the dormitories and to the front of Beacon Academy, stopping in front of the large statue. Gazing up at it, Naruto placed his hand on his throat and cleared it.

"I can only hold this for about two minutes so I need to make this quick," said Naruto, to the surprise of Pyrrha, as he turned to her, "You said you came to Beacon to become a Huntress in order to find someone," he lowered his head slightly and looked at the ground, "I'm that person, Pyrrha."

"Huh?" asked Pyrrha like she wasn't understanding what Naruto was saying, "What are you talking about?"

"Those gaps in your memory, I caused them," confessed Naruto as he closed his eyes, "Pyrrha, those gaps… they were of our time together. As boyfriend and girlfriend."

Pyrrha grunted in pain as several images flashed across her eyes and she fell to her knees.

"You were in danger of dying and I did it to protect you," said Naruto as he walked up to Pyrrha and got down on one knee, "I had your parents lie to protect you from the darkness that had consumed you. I couldn't bare to see you go down that path."

Pyrrha looked up at Naruto as he began to cry.

"I just had to tell you this once," said Naruto through tears as he placed his hands on the sides of Pyrrha's face with his thumbs on her temples, "I know my words don't make sense to you right now but I just want you to know that it's okay. Go for Jaune. You deserve it after everything that's happened," he pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, "Goodbye for the last time, my love."

"Naruto, plea…" began Pyrrha before she fell back from Naruto, unconscious.

The other members of Team NYHT arrived two minutes later to find Naruto cradling the unconscious Pyrrha.

 _"I just let her know that it's okay,"_ explained Naruto as he looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms, _"That she could let me go."_

"Naruto…" whispered Hana as Naruto picked up Pyrrha bridal style.

He walked back toward the dormitories while Team NYHT stood at attention like they did when they were put together at the start of the year. The color of the world became duller as Naruto passed by the frozen Jaune and entered the room of Team JNPR. Placing Pyrrha down on the bed, her color became duller as well as she was frozen in place. Giving one last tearful glance to her, Naruto headed out and back to his room as time resumed.

 **(Flashback ~ 10 Years Ago ~)**

Hana took several deep breaths as she finally finished burying the last member of the caravan she'd been a part of. Placing some stones atop the grave, Hana closed her eyes and said a small prayer. Hearing footsteps behind her, she looked over her shoulder and saw a boy with blond hair wearing a white shirt and shorts come up to her. Staring at the graves, the boy knelt down and waved his hand as he said a prayer.

 _"These aren't going to be here forever,"_ said a voice inside Hana's head as the boy turned around and headed back in the direction he came from, _"Seek out Sienna Khan and the White Fang. She'll give you a home and everything you lost."_

Hana stared at the graves for what felt like hours before she extended her wings and took off into the sky. Once she was at what she deemed an acceptable height, she started heading East, toward Menagerie and hoping to find the person she hoped would give her everything the voice had promised.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

Raven panted as she held the tip of her sword over the head of the young boy she had recovered from Atlas several days ago. Blood ran down her arms from the numerous cuts that had covered her body and pooled at her feet. A black liquid ran along the blade of her sword as the same liquid came out of the cuts and scars from the boy that she was standing over. Lowering her sword and falling to the side, Raven tried to relax as she observed the landscape. The camp was in ruins and those that could still contribute were helping their injured friends and gathering the dead. Once she had rested enough, Raven shakily got to her feet and shrugged off any help to treat her injuries. Walking up to the boy, the Dragon Grimm mask that was upon his face burst into a black mist and his blood returned to its normal color while a large amount of it was coming from his right eye. Picking up her sword, Raven swung it, creating a portal next to her.

"Make sure he remains unconscious and alive until I get back," she ordered her men as she stepped through the portal and it closed behind her.

* * *

Taiyang had just finished putting Yang and Ruby to bed when he sighed and turned around to face Raven, who had just come through a portal.

"You've looked better," he remarked.

"Where's Summer's grave?" she questioned Taiyang in an almost demanding tone.

"At least let me offer you a beverage first," said Taiyang as he went to the kitchen.

"I'm not playing around, Tai," spat out Raven, "I know you buried Summer around here somewhere. Where is her grave?"

"Why do you want to know?" asked Taiyang as he started making some tea.

"I found a Nephilim," stated Raven plainly.

Pausing for a moment, Taiyang got back to making tea and handed Raven a cup. She reluctantly took the cup and downed it in one go before throwing the cup against the wall and shattering it.

"What is it about Summer's grave that interests you?" he questioned his ex-wife.

"It's none of your concern," snarled Raven as she raised her sword and pointed it at Taiyang's neck, "Tell me where it is."

"On the cliff overlooking the ocean," stated Taiyang as Raven removed her sword and headed for the door, "How old are they?"

"Five," said Raven as she stopped at the door, "He's five years old."

"And why are you going so far for this child?" asked Taiyang.

Raven remained silent and left the house. Heading to the cliff in question, Raven came upon the gravestone of her former teammate and said a quick prayer before she began digging. Flinching as the dirt got into her cuts, Raven continued before a shovel was placed in the dirt next to her. Looking up, she saw Taiyang start to dig and backed away to let him do it. Soon, the shovel made a loud thunk as it hit something. Tossing the shovel aside, Taiyang uncovered a casket and opened it. Staring at the body of his second wife, Taiyang closed his eyes as Raven approached.

"Summer, you and I had a lot of arguments in the past," said Raven as she opened Summer's right eye, "But, just this once, I need your help."

Carefully, Raven removed the eye and placed it in a small box. Taiyang helped Raven out of the hole and she created a portal.

"Do you really think that'll help him?" asked Taiyang, "The last time this was attempted was over a thousand years ago."

"I do," said Raven as she looked over her shoulder at Taiyang and gave him a teasing smile, "He is my son after all."

Stepping through the portal, Raven left and Taiyang got to filling the grave back up.

* * *

Raven entered her tent and walked up to the boy.

"All of you get out," she ordered.

The guards left the tent and Raven pulled out the box that contained Summer's eye. Taking some of the powerful anesthetic that was in a needle next to her and injected it into the boy, making sure he wouldn't wake up. She then dug out the remains of the boy's right eye before opening the box.

 _"Summer, please help this boy,"_ thought Raven as she removed the eye and began fitting it into the boy's empty socket, _"He must live."_

The moment the eye was in place, it just stayed there. But, a moment later, Raven was blown off her feet by a blinding silver light that came off a wing coming from the eye. A couple people rushed in but were vaporized almost instantly by the blinding light. A few seconds later, the light died almost instantly, leaving the boy's injuries healed but with a small streak of silver in his hair. Raven stayed down for a moment before noticing she wasn't in pain anymore. Examining her body, she saw that she was healed as well and went up to the unconscious boy. The boy slowly opened his eyes before looking at Raven.

 _"Mommy,"_ thought the boy as he nuzzled his head into Raven's chest.

Raven seemed taken aback by this but slowly put her arms around the boy, giving him a loving hug.

 **(Several Months Later)**

The Branwen Tribe, having set up camp on Menagerie just outside of town, gathered in front of Raven's Tent and a few moments later, Raven came out with Naruto at her side. He now had hair that went to his nose with his silver bangs covering his silver eye.

"Alright," announced Raven, "Our contract here is to kill some monster further inland to allow the town to expand. Our reward are items unique to Menagerie that we can trade back on the mainland. They're also supplying us with food and drink for the next two months. Let's get to work."

The Tribe began to head out when Naruto grabbed Raven's hand.

 _"Mommy, I wanna go with,"_ thought Naruto hopefully.

"Naruto, I'm sorry but you need to stay behind," apologized Raven as she knelt down, facing him, "It's too dangerous for you outside of camp or the city."

 _"But I don't want to stay in camp,"_ whined Naruto as his ears flattened against his head, _"I want to go with you."_

"I'll tell you what," said Raven with a smile, "How about you go scouting the town? I want you to find out where everything is and find out if there's anyone suspicious walking about."

 _"Okay!"_ thought Naruto enthusiastically as he hurried out the front gates of the camp.

Raven just sighed and shook her head in amusement. She then headed out with her men toward the forest just outside of town and placed her helmet over her head.

Naruto hid behind a house in town and brought his hands together. Remembering what Raven had told him, he made his ears vanish to make him less identifiable and so that nobody would remember him. Going through the crowds of people, Naruto began to take in the sights and note of where everything was. He turned a corner and ran into someone legs, causing him to fall down.

"You should really watch where you're going," said a woman's voice in a playful tone.

Naruto looked up and saw a woman with orange eyes, dark complexion and wild black, chin length hair with an asymmetrical bob style. Along her dark skin were numerous tattoos that resembled stripes while a large pair of pointed cat ears were atop her head. She was wearing a white shirt and tan jeans along with some black combat boots.

 _"Sorry, lady,"_ apologized Naruto as he got up, _"Mommy told me to come to town and remember where everything was while she's off beating up the monsters."_

"So, you must be the child of one of the mercenaries that Ghira hired," said the woman as she crouched down to get to Naruto's level, "That is an interesting ability you have."

 _"Mommy said it was because of her friend is helping me because I can't speak anymore,"_ said Naruto proudly.

"Why don't you say hi, Yunie?" asked the woman as she looked behind her.

A young girl with the woman's same complexion but with purple hair, golden eyes, and a black cat tail came out from behind the woman and nervously walked up to Naruto. She wore a white dress and sandals.

"You're hair… is two colors," said Yunie nervously.

 _"I think it makes me look cool,"_ thought Naruto as he played with his bangs.

Yunie grabbed a hold of the woman as she seemed scared but the woman just chuckled.

"Yuna, it's alright," assured the woman, "He isn't able to talk like us so he is talking to us by thinking."

 _"I'm sorry if I scared you,"_ apologized Naruto as he bowed to Yunie.

Yunie nervously went up to Naruto and looked at the silver in his hair.

"Gin," said Yunie.

 _"Huh?"_ asked Naruto as he didn't get what she was saying.

"Gin," said Yunie, "Mommy tells me it is a really old word for the color silver. That's what I'm going to call you."

"Yuna, that's not nice," scolded the woman lightly.

 _"It's okay,"_ thought Naruto, _"It sounds cool."_

"So, Gin," said the woman as she stood back up, "Do you want to come with Yuna and I to the market? I'm sure your mommy would love to know where it is."

"Okay," said Naruto gleefully as the woman led him and Yunie.

 **(That Night)**

Raven reentered her tent and Naruto rushed over to her and gave her legs a big hug.

"Did you have a good day?" she asked.

 _"I sure did,"_ thought Naruto with a toothy grin, _"I learned where all the places were and I also made a friend."_

"Really?" asked Raven as she knelt down next to Naruto, "What's she like?"

 _"She's the bestest friend ever!"_ exclaimed Naruto as he threw his arms open to just show his excitement, _"Her mommy makes the best sushi and is next person in charge after the village leader."_

"I see," said Raven as she ruffled Naruto's hair before standing up, "You did a good job. Let's go get some dinner."

 _"Okay,"_ thought Naruto as he took Raven's hand and she led him outside.

 **(Two Weeks Later)**

Naruto sat with Yunie as the pair were fishing on the docks while other people were moving cargo around to either go to the mainland or into town. They had been at it for what felt like forever when Naruto felt a tug on his line. He struggled to pull it in and was almost pulled off the docks. Yunie hurried over and tried to help him reel it in but they were both struggling. A couple of the men saw this and stopped what they were doing to help. All in all, about ten people came over to help and when it was all over, Naruto and Yunie were jumping for joy at the enormous 1 foot in diameter fish they had caught. Once the fish was properly cut up and preserved in salt, Naruto walked back to camp with one of the fishermen when he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. Something warm trickled down his head as the man towered over him.

"That was for my father in the Great War, you disgusting human," snarled the man before he began kicking Naruto.

Naruto hacked out blood and began losing consciousness.

 _"Mommy, help,"_ he thought as he passed out.

The man went for another kick when Naruto's left hand grabbed the man's foot and stopped him effortlessly.

 **"You pathetic little worm,"** said Naruto in a distorted voice as he threw the man back with ease.

Naruto's blood turned black as he stood up and a Grimm Dragon mask appeared on his face. His fox ears returned and he laughed at the frightened man.

 **"I suppose I should show you not to mess with my host,"** said Naruto as he held up his left hand, which was leaking corporeous amounts of black mist, " **Jouketsu."**

He swept his hand aside to engulf himself in black mist that flash with lightning inside of it. Once it dispersed, Naruto had turned into a creature that was the height of an adult male and had the appearance of a black, dragon-like creature. The man back away and broke into a run before he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. An instant later, a claw had gone through his chest and held his still pulsing heart in his hand. The man stared at it for an instant before the creature pulled its claw back out. The man fell to his knees then forward, dead as a stone. Raven arrived in her avian form and landed behind the creature. When she cawed, the creature turned around and chuckled.

 **"You again,"** said the creature as Raven returned to human form.

"Let him go," ordered Raven as she drew her sword.

 **"You want to go again?"** asked the creature as he tossed the heart aside, **"You nearly died last time."**

Raven gritted her teeth and got ready to lunge at the creature when it grabbed the ride side of its face and doubled over in pain.

 **"Damn you, you silver eyed bitch,"** said the creature in disgust as his form turned into a black mist that faded away with the breeze until a healed Naruto stumbled forward.

Raven rushed over and grabbed Naruto and held him in her arms.

 _"Mommy, what happened?"_ he asked, _"I… I don't remember anything since you left this morning."_

"It's alright, Naruto," said Raven as she picked him up and rushed toward camp.

Once there, Raven hurried inside her tent and lied Naruto down before going outside.

"Break up camp!" ordered Raven to everyone, "We're leaving in the next hour!"

Everyone began running about as Raven went back inside and sat down next to Naruto.

"Naruto, I have something to tell you," said Raven with a sigh.

 _"What is it?"_ he asked.

"First, what do you know of the fairy tale about the Four Seasons?" asked Raven.

 **(Two Years Later)**

Naruto swung his wooden sword like Raven had been instructing him to when Vernal, who was about five or so years old than him, walked over to him.

"What are you doing up so late?" asked Vernal as the moon continued to shine down on Naruto.

 _"Training,"_ replied Naruto with a scowl on his face as he continued swinging, _"How much longer are they going to take with the raid?"_

"They should only be about another hour," said Vernal when Naruto's gaze suddenly shot off to the side, "Something wrong?"

His eyes glowing yellow, Naruto's body turned into a mist that spiraled up into the air and out of camp. Gathering several miles away, Naruto observed a cart with several suspicious looking man hurrying away from the nearby town.

 _"Jouketsu,"_ thought Naruto as he threw his left arm open.

Becoming engulfed in the mist his hand produced, Naruto assumed a green version of his draconic form as a double-bladed bone sword appeared in his hand. The sword glowed a sinister green color and he swung it, hitting the wheel of the wagon and making it explode. Naruto then went up to one of the men on the ground and stabbed him in the throat before turning to the man that had gotten to his feet in a daze. Running him through with his sword, Naruto felt blood run down his sword to his hand when he heard something to his right. Looking, he saw a frightened girl of seven with chin length black hair and violet eyes that were afraid of him. Walking over to her, Naruto raised his sword as the girl shut her eyes and cut the ropes binding her. The girl opened her eyes a moment later and looked surprised to find herself freed and uninjured. A swirling red portal appeared in front of Naruto, causing him to sigh in annoyance. Going through the portal, Naruto gave one look back at the girl before it closed behind him.

"What were you doing?" questioned Raven after Naruto had come through her end of the portal in his Faunus form.

 _"I'm sorry, mother,"_ apologized Naruto as he stopped in front of Raven, _"I was helping a child that had been kidnapped shortly before the raid."_

"What have I told you about going out before you were ready?" questioned Raven in a disapproving tone as she folded her arms, "If Ozpin were to find out about you…"

 _"He's not going to,"_ thought Naruto seriously, _"Who's going to believe a little kid when they say that they saw a monster?"_

Heading to his tent, Naruto took a deep breath as he was finally alone before he roared in anger and smashed a glass on the ground. Storming out of his tent, he walked out of camp and tried to calm down when he got to the outskirts of the town that the tribe raided to find the girl he had saved earlier digging graves for the dead. Realization washed over him as he fell to his knees. Lost in despair, he felt a warmth in his head that told him to keep watching. As soon as day broke, the girl was just finishing up the monuments for her friends and family and Naruto looked over his head and saw Raven staring down at him like she was angry.

"We've been ready to go for the past four hours," she told him as he looked back to watch the girl, "What's so interesting about her?"

 _"They were her family,"_ thought Naruto as he watched the girl finish up a monument, _"We killed her family."_

"They were weak," said Raven as she turned away, "The weak die. The strong live. Those are the rules."

She headed back as Naruto got to his feet. He walked down toward the girl just as she had finished the last monument and didn't look at her as he knelt down in front of the monument and waved his hand over it while saying a prayer.

 _"These aren't going to be here forever,"_ he told her as he stood up and headed back, _"Seek out Sienna Khan and the White Fang. She'll give you a home and everything you lost."_

Hearing the girl take off into the air, Naruto lowered his head and closed his eyes.

 _"I'm sorry,"_ thought Naruto.

 **(A Year Later)**

Sitting in camp just outside Mistral City, Naruto looked at one of his many ancient manuscripts and stopped on a page that seemed to depict a seal of sorts. Reading the ancient letters, Naruto seemed to delve deeper into the book when Raven sat next to him.

"How are you able to read that thing?" asked Raven with intrigue.

 _"I studied,"_ thought Naruto as he traced over his left hand in the same pattern as the seal on the page before he quickly sketched the seal and stood up, _"I'll be back by midnight."_

Snatching a bag of coins and several bags of ingredients, he turned into a black mist that flew up into the air. Arriving in an ally in Mistral City, Naruto walked to a tattoo parlor and went up to the counter. Dropping the bag of coins on the counter, the man at the counter looked inside.

"What do you want done, kid?" asked the man.

Handing the man his drawing of the seal, Naruto pointed to his arm and traced along it. He then handed the ingredients to the man and pointed at a bottle of ink then the bags then back to the ink.

"So, put this stuff in the ink?" asked the man.

Naruto nodded and the man took him to the back. Naruto took a seat in the chair and waited as the man added what Naruto brought to the ink. After about four hours, Naruto walked out of the tattoo parlor with a throbbing arm that now had a tattoo that would never fade and grow with his body. Deciding to explore the city for a while, Naruto walked the streets and bridges and took in the sights.

"What happened to the little girl that would play guitar here?" asked one person that Naruto passed by on a street corner.

"Didn't you hear?" asked the person's companion, "She's in the hospital and isn't expected to last much longer."

Frowning, Naruto went back to the street corner and took a deep breath. Placing his hand to the ground, the tattoo on his arm glowed minutely before he stood back up.

 _"Mother's going to kill me for this,"_ thought Naruto before he went down a dark ally in vanished in a black mist.

 **(That Night)**

Naruto arrived at the hospital in the dead of night and looked at the lone occupant of the room. A young girl his age wearing a hospital gown and the top of her head was wrapped in bandages. Holding up his hand, Naruto sighed as the black mist seeped from it. His tattoo sprang to life and glowed.

 _"Jouketsu,"_ thought Naruto as he swept his hand aside.

Once the mist had encompassed him, Naruto stepped out in a black version of his draconic form and walked over to the girl. He placed his hand on her forehead then watched as his hand began glowing slightly. Slowly opening her eyes, the girl looked at Naruto tiredly.

 **"Be grateful that I'm saving an inferior being such as yourself,"** said Naruto quickly.

He removed his hand from her forehead the noticed the guitar case next to the bed.

"Are you… an angel?" she asked weakly.

 **"Call me what you wish,"** said Naruto disgruntledly as he picked up the girl's guitar and started to play, **"What made you like this?"**

"My parents…" said the girl vaguely, "I got hit by a beer bottle."

As she started to drift off into unconsciousness, Naruto stopped playing and stood up.

 **"Listen to me,"** said Naruto as he sat the guitar down, **"If you die here, you're just another name on the list of Faunus that humans have hurt. Nobody will care about you. You'll be nothing."**

Using the spikes on his knuckles, Naruto punctured her chest for an instant before it began filling up with a minute amount of the black mist that healed the wounds.

 **"Fight,"** said Naruto angrily, **"Fight for your life. Show them that you're not worthless. Show them that you are stronger than them. Show them."**

He became engulfed in the black mist and returned to his normal form.

 _"Live and show the power you have,"_ thought Naruto as the girl passed out.

Taking the chart from next to her bed, Naruto examined it and found a name.

 _"Tamao Kirishima,"_ he thought before looking at the sleeping girl with pity, _"I won't let you get hurt again."_

Setting the charts down, he flew out the window as a black mist that landed on the roof of one of the many buildings. Closing his eyes, he honed in on locations where Tamao's Aura was and found it concentrated on a building other than the hospital. Flying to the building, he flew up to the fourth floor and into the window of a bedroom that was poorly taken care of.

 _"This is her room then…"_ thought Naruto as he opened the door and headed down the hall.

Looking at a door, he heard breathing inside and turned into a mist that seeped under the door. When he reformed, he found two people sleeping in a bed in a nice and well taken care of room. Drawing his knife and with one stroke, blood flew into the air as the throats of the people were slashed and drenched Naruto from head to toe in blood. Naruto wiped the blood from his eyes just as Raven smashed in through the window.

"What did you just do?!" she demanded.

 _"Well, right now, we need to get out of here before the police get here,"_ thought Naruto as he turned into a black mist that flew out the now broken window with Raven right behind him in her avian form.

Landing in the forest outside of town, Naruto reformed as Raven turned into a human again.

 _"To answer your question, I was getting revenge for a girl in the hospital,"_ thought Naruto as Raven stormed over to him and slapped him.

"I have been trying for the past 3 years to keep you safe and out of Ozpin's eyes but you go out and actually do something that will definitely get him to search for you!" yelled Raven, "Not to mention that by using your powers, you've alerted Salem to your existence!"

 _"At least I'm not running away from my family!"_ argued Naruto angrily, _"You tell me not to do anything that'll get Ozpin to notice us but you go and destroy an entire town! I was doing what dad taught me to do and help those that can't help themselves."_

Raven narrowed her eyes at this and scowled at Naruto.

"You're father's dead," said Raven plainly, "I'm not thinking about him. I'm not thinking about your sister. All I'm thinking about is making sure that you do reveal yourself."

 _"Or maybe you're just trying to protect yourself,"_ retorted Naruto, _"You killed the Spring Maiden and took her power for your own just because you wanted to protect, not the tribe, but yourself. You don't care about anyone in the tribe. All you care about is saving your own hide. When push comes to shove, you'll be running in the opposite direction because you are nothing but a coward."_

Raven made to slap Naruto again before he caught her arm with ease and threw her back. Raven skidded to a halt and exchanged heated looks with Naruto.

 _"I'll be staying with Vernal from now on,"_ thought Naruto as he walked back to camp, _"Don't ever speak of my father like that again."_

When he vanished into the darkness of the underbrush, Raven gritted her teeth and roared in anger as she spun around and swung her sword, cutting several trees in half.

 **(Three Years Later)**

Naruto knelt before Sienna Khan as the three girls he'd knocked unconscious lay on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sienna curiously.

 _"To atone for what I did six years ago,"_ thought Naruto remorsefully, _"I killed your husband."_

"Leave us," ordered Sienna.

The guards looked at her like she was insane but never the less, left without a word.

"Are they going to be alright?" asked Sienna as both she and Naruto looked at the mask covered girls.

 _"They will be if their will to survive is strong enough,"_ replied Naruto as he stood up, _"I'll explain what I did to them later but right now, I need you to leave."_

"Why?" questioned Sienna.

 _"When what's happening to them happened to me, my mother nearly died from the rampage I went on,"_ explained Naruto, _"I can't use my full power with you here. You have my word that they'll be alive and alright when I'm done."_

Sienna seemed unsure of this but left quickly as Naruto turned back to the stirring girls, who were growing.

 _"Well, let's get this over with…"_ thought Naruto as his mask reformed on his face.

 **(Some Time Later)**

 _"I only want one thing in exchange for my services,"_ thought Naruto as he and Sienna sat at a table will sipping tea.

"And that would be?" asked Sienna.

 _"I want any and all information the White Fang has on the Schnee Dust Company as well as the whereabouts of Winter Schnee,"_ replied Naruto calmly.

"Why Winter in particular?" asked Sienna curiously.

 _"Personal reasons,"_ responded Naruto in tone that failed to mask how angry he was.

"I'll see what I can do," said Sienna when Naruto looked off to the side, "Something the matter?"

 _"The others are awake,"_ thought Naruto as he hurried out of the room.

Arriving in one of the few remaining rooms in the building, Naruto watched as the three girls awoke with groans.

 _"Nice to see all three of you up,"_ remarked Naruto as he leaned against the doorway.

"What happened?" asked Tamao as she looked from side to side, "Why's everything black?"

"What did she say?!" yelled Yuna to Hana as she heard nothing.

 _"Will the three of you keep it down?"_ asked Naruto as he removed his hands from his ears, _"I linked our minds together so just think what you want to say."_

 _"What happened?"_ asked Yuna, _"Why can't I hear anything?"_

 _"That explosion that went off behind you destroyed your eardrums so you're now deaf,"_ explained Naruto before he looked at Tamao, _"As for Miss Kirishima, she's now blind as a bat."_

 _"But why?"_ questioned Hana.

 _"In my rage to get here, I apparently caused more damage than I intended,"_ thought Naruto remorsefully, _"For that, I'm sorry. But I'm pretty sure you all have questions about those weird things you fought just before you woke up."_

 _"How do you know about that?"_ asked Yuna curiously.

 _"Because…"_ thought Naruto as he held his hand up to his face and a Dragon Grimm mask formed in his hand from the black mist, _"I fought one six years ago."_

 **(One Year Later)**

"You've all come a long way in the past year," said Sienna Khan to the four 12 year olds in long black coats with hoods over their heads kneeling before her, "Helping me solidify my control over the White Fang is just the first step in showing the humans that we're not to be messed with. You are my soldiers. You are those of us that the world will always fear when they hear your names. Lunar. Ghoul. Neko. Kronos. You four are the Black Fang."

She pulled out a file that she had tucked into her throne and walked down to the only male member of the group.

"I believe our bargain is upheld," she remarked as Kronos took the file and examined it, "Winter Schnee is currently stationed at an Atlisian Military Outpost in Mistral. Your first mission is to eliminate her."

The four turned into a large cloud of black mist that flew out of the room and any and all that were unfortunate to be caught in the smoke turned into a pile of bones that fell to the ground.

* * *

"How is James doing by the day?" asked Headmaster Lionheart of Winter Schnee, who was there to discuss matters.

"He's doing quite alright," reported Winter, "He's also very egger to see you when he arrives in a few months at the Vytal Festival."

"I see," said Lionheart as he looked down at his cup, "We need all the peace we can get with the White Fang becoming more radicalized."

"You don't need to worry," assured Winter, "Atlas is going to provide some extra security for the Academies for the foreseeable future," Winter then looked toward the window and dove over the table, tacking Lionheart out of the radius of the lightning that tore through the building.

"What was that?!" exclaimed Lionheart as a student hurried into the room.

"Headmaster, we're under a…" the student never got to finish as his head fell from his shoulders.

Winter and Lionheart looked in shock at the black draconic creature that had killed the student and pointed its bone sword at Winter.

 **"Today is the day you pay for what you did,"** said the creature as he approached them.

Slamming her hand on the ground, Winter made a glyph that caused it to crumble and sent her and Lionheart falling through. When they landed on the ground floor, they got up but froze at the sight of a red tiger that had fur burning like a raging inferno devouring the bodies of the staff and students. The tiger turned toward them and growled before it made a break for them. Winter cast a glyph between them that stopped the tiger and also sent out a manifestation of a Beowolf to fight it. Heading out of the building, they were stopped by a storm of feathers that prevented them from leaving the front entrance. Landing right in front of them was a giant bird that seemed similar to a Nevermore but with a blank mask that only had a thin red line over where the eyes would be. Quickly turning around, they made to run for one of the side exits when bolts of lightning created a cage around them. A large black dragon without a Grimm mask that had lightning chained around its body wrapped around the cage and roared at them.

 **"You can't escape,"** said the creature as it walked through the lightning cage and toward Winter.

"What do you want with the Headmaster?!" demanded Winter.

 **"We could care less about him,"** said the creature as he flicked his wrist and Lionheart went flying out of the cage, unconscious, **"What we care about is justice for what you did."**

Winter brought her sword up just in time to block the sword of the creature but was sent flying into the lightning cage. Screaming in pain as she was electrocuted, Winter was thrown back toward the creature and rolled on the ground. Grunting, Winter tried to get up before she screamed as blood flew from the large and deep cut to her back.

 **"How does it feel to be branded like a dog?!"** yelled the creature as it stabbed Winter in the hip, **"How does it feel to be in the same place you put that Faunus 12 years ago?!"**

"H-How… do you… know?" questioned Winter weakly as the creature grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look him in the eyes.

 **"I watched,"** said the creature, **"I watched as you tortured and killed the only family I ever had."**

Winter's eyes grew wide as she realized who this was.

"Y-Your that boy," said Winter in disbelief, "You were his son."

Landing a hard shot to the gut, the creature let Winter cough up blood before grabbing her by the throat.

 **"And now you shall get what's coming to you, Schnee,"** said the creature, **"Long live the Revolution."**

He made to pierce Winter's eyes with his claws but stopped when she said something breathlessly.

 **"What?"** demanded the creature as he lowered his free arm, **"What did you say?"**

Winter remained silent before the creature threw her to the ground.

 **"Tell me what you just said!"** ordered the creature angrily.

"M-My sister…" said Winter like she was trying to stay alive, "He… threatened her."

 **"My father never even knew your sister!"** shouted the creature as he placed his foot on Winter's head, intending to crush it.

"My… father," said Winter as everything began going black, "He… threatened… her."

Having finally passed out from blood loss, Winter said no more as the creature growled before snapping his fingers while turning away. Winter's wounds began sewing themselves up and the blood trickled back into her body, leaving her healed.

 **"We're leaving,"** said the creature as the cage faded away and the three other creatures gathered around him.

Lionheart slowly looked up at them and met the gaze of the apparent leader.

"Who are you?" he asked.

 **"We are the Black Fang,"** said the creature as turned to Lionheart, **"Let the world know of what happened here. Humanity shall pay for what they did to the Faunus."**

With that, all four turned into a storm of black mist that flew up into the sky and away from Haven. It was at that moment that Mistral Police Force arrived and Lionheart looked at his destroyed Academy.

* * *

Landing on a mountain side, the black mist reformed into four individuals of human shapes.

"What was that about?" demanded Hana as she lowered her hood, "She was almost dead."

 _"Things have changed,"_ thought Naruto as he lowered his hood as well, _"Our new mission is to gather intel on the illegal dealings of Jacques Schnee."_

"That wasn't what my mother ordered us to do," said Yuna as she and Tamao removed their hoods while Naruto went to sit on a rock.

 _"We need the humans to fear us and it worked,"_ explained Naruto as he sighed and looked at the ground, _"For a while at least, they'll think twice about harming Faunus."_

"And what do we tell Sienna?" asked Tamao.

 _"We tell her we've got some valuable information on the under the table dealings of the Schnee Dust Company,"_ thought Naruto, _"We're going to bring that company to ruin."_

 **(Several Days Later)**

"While you didn't follow orders you did make quite a mark on the humans," commended Sienna to the Black Fang, "I'd call that mission accomplished."

 _"I have a plan,"_ thought Naruto as he eyed the guards around Sienna, _"But it's need to know and they don't."_

"Leave us," ordered Sienna.

The guards left as Sienna leaned forward.

"What is this plan you have?" asked Sienna.

 **(A Year Later)**

Naruto stretched as he prepared for his first fight in the Mistral Regional Tournament while Hana, Yuna, and Tamao watched.

"Remind me how this is a good idea, Commander?" asked Yuna.

A couple months earlier, the four of them had enrolled in Sanctum Academy as it had been a part of Naruto's master plan that Sienna accepted.

 _"This tournament is designed to find potential Huntsmen and Huntresses,"_ reminded Naruto as he grabbed his sword and shield, _"We find those with the most potential and kill them after the tournament is over."_

"So, you're my opponent," said a voice from behind the group.

All of them turned around and looked at the human girl that was approaching them. She had long red hair done in a ponytail and deep green eyes. She also had on a brown overbust corset with a vertical strip of lighter brown in the centre. Additionally, she wore an elastic, black, A-line miniskirt and brown opera-length gloves on both arms. She also wore a red, ankle-length sash that wrapped around her skirt.

"Are you nervous?" asked the girl as she walked up to Naruto, who was dead silent.

"He's mute," explained Hana as she went up next to Naruto and slapped him on the back, "Gin here is also a little shy when it comes to meeting new people."

"So, your name is Gin?" asked the girl as she held out her hand, "I'm Pyrrha Nikos."

Naruto dumbly took her hand and gave it a really lousy shake. Pyrrha chuckled at this then gave Naruto a smile.

"Well, we're fighting in the first round so I just came here to wish you good luck," said Pyrrha before she started to head off, "See you on the field, Gin."

"Like you need it, Commander," said Tamao confidently before they all noticed something.

"Commander?" asked Hana in concern.

 _"Pyrrha Nikos…"_ thought Naruto distantly as his thoughts were filled by her.

* * *

 **Final pairing for Naruto poll on my profile. Results will be posted with the next chapter. Please go vote in it.**


	9. Chapter 9

Ruby Rose sighed as the water from the shower head cascaded down her pale skin. All the while, different images kept appearing in her head. Guilt crept into entire body as she knew what she was feeling was wrong. Seeming distraught at the images that kept appearing, Ruby slid down the wall of the shower and just sat there in the steam and water. After a while, she got out of the shower and just wrapped herself in a towel before speeding back to her room. Going under the covers of her bed, she just laid there as more images came forward. Each one making her face more red than the last one.

"That was a great movie," said Yang as the rest of Team RWBY came in.

"Now that's was what I call I rapier," said Weiss with a smirk.

"I still say the book was better," said Blake when she noticed Ruby in bed, "Isn't it a little early for bed?"

"I'm fine, Blake," said Ruby depressingly.

The other three girls looked at each other then back at Ruby.

"Rubs, you know that you can talk to me about anything," said Yang as she sat down on the bed, trying to coxing her sister out from under the sheets.

"To be honest, Yang, you're probably the last person I want to talk to about this," said Ruby as she went and got dressed before grabbing her scroll and heading out.

Walking around campus, Ruby just continued walking before she took a seat on the ground against a tree. Pulling out her scroll, Ruby dialed a number and held it up to her head.

"Hello?" asked the person on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Dad," said Ruby softly, "Can I ask you something?"

* * *

"What do you think she's talking about?" asked Hana as she and Yuna watched Ruby from their dorm window.

"I haven't the faintest clue," said Yuna as she looked over at Naruto, "Any ideas, Gin?"

 _"I know exactly what's bothering her,"_ thought Naruto with a depressing sigh.

"And that would be?" asked Hana.

 _"It's not my place to say,"_ thought Naruto as he rubbed his forehead, _"I just wish she wouldn't torture herself with this kind of stuff."_

 **(Several Days Later)**

Team NYHT sat in a bar in Vale City, where they were preparing for the Vytal Festival, and were talking amongst themselves after paying the bartender to close up early and leave them inside.

 _"What do we know about the recent robberies of Dust?"_ asked Naruto as he drank some water.

"My old contacts in the White Fang say that Adam has been unusually focused collecting dust," said Yuna as she played a game with a knife and trying not to stab her hand.

"Apparently, they're also working with Roman Torchwick," reported Tamao, "Which is odd considering that he would never work with a human."

 _"It is possible that Cinder used the powers she stole from Amber to force him to work with her and Torchwick,"_ guessed Naruto.

"You want I should pay Adam a visit?" asked Hana.

 _"No,"_ denied Naruto after some thought, _"We've done a lot to stay hidden so far with the only blips being Cinder when I rescued Ruby and Sienna using her semblance to find Yuna. For now, let them be. Until we know more, we aren't to take any action against them. Hana. Tamao. You two may leave. I need to have a little talk with Yunie here."_

Both girls turned into a black mist that exited through the vents while Yuna just sat with Naruto.

"What did you want to talk about?" asked Yuna as she continued with the knife game.

 _"What did you tell Sienna two nights ago?"_ questioned Naruto.

The surprise of the question caught Yuna off guard and she flinched as she cut her finger.

 _"And keep in mind that I can tell if you're lying,"_ thought Naruto seriously.

"You could just look into my mind and find out," said Yuna as she nursed her bleeding finger.

 _"I could but I want to hear it from your own mouth,"_ explained Naruto as he put his feet up on the table.

Sighing, Yuna just hung her head.

"She's been trying to get me to come home," she confessed, "She's even said that she won't have me rejoin the White Fang, that I could open that bakery I've always wanted."

 _"And?"_ questioned the blond as he folded his arms.

"Please don't make me say it," begged Yuna in distress.

 _"Yuna…"_ stated Naruto seriously.

"I'm… going to take the offer," confessed Yuna in shame.

Naruto covered his mouth and sighed before lowering his hand.

"Anything to say?" asked Yuna.

 _"No,"_ thought Naruto as he stood up and went to play darts, _"Do what you want."_

"Huh?" asked Yuna in disbelief.

 _"I don't have any plans on stopping you,"_ thought Naruto as he made three bull's eyes in a row, _"You deserve it more than anyone of us."_

 **(Flashback ~ 5 Years Ago~)**

Yuna entered Naruto's room to find him sharpening his sword. She remained silent as Naruto continued before he finally noticed her.

 _"Yes?"_ thought Naruto as he looked up at her.

"All these years later and you finally come back," said Yuna seriously.

 _"You couldn't have done this a year ago?"_ questioned Naruto as he sheathed his sword and walked up to Yuna, _"Why are you bringing this up now?"_

"What happened to my father after he took you back to your camp?" questioned Yuna.

Naruto remained silent when Yuna notched an arrow aimed right at his hea.

"Tell me what happened, Gin," she demanded.

 _"He attempted to kill me,"_ explained Naruto calmly, _"He assumed I was human and attempted to kill me. The… other guy was the one who killed him."_

Yuna gritted her teeth before she let the arrow fly right next to Naruto's head, cutting his cheek. Feeling dismay at this, Yuna fell to her knees and started crying before Naruto pulled her into a warm embrace. Sienna, who had been walking by, saw this and looked at Naruto. Mouthing the word father, Naruto let Sienna know what was going on before handing Yuna off to her mother.

 **(End Flashback)**

Blake cried as she wiped the tears from her eyes after running out on her team. Reaching up to the ribbon on her head, she removed it to reveal a pair of black cat ears atop her head.

"I knew you'd look better without the bow," said a male voice behind her.

Turning around, Blake saw the monkey Faunus that had stowed away on the ship that afternoon smiling at her from atop a lamp post.

"Well, isn't this a party," remarked Yuna as she appeared at the foot of the statue they were all at.

 **(The Next Day)**

Team NYHT, minus Yuna, walked through the halls of Beacon when they quite literally bumped into Team RWBY, minus Blake. Naruto and Ruby fell to the floor and their respective teammates helped them up.

"Sorry, Naruto," apologized Ruby as she dusted off her skirt.

 _"It my fault,"_ argued Naruto apologetically while fixing the sleeve of his robe, _"What are you all up to?"_

"Have any of you seen Blake?" asked Yang, "She stormed off last night after she and Ice Queen had an argument."

"About what?" asked Tamao.

"Uh… about Faunus and the White Fang," said Weiss wearily of Naruto.

The three members of Team NYHT exchanged looks. Well, Naruto and Hana exchanged looks while Tamao just looked concerned.

"Follow us," said Hana as she and her team led Ruby and hers into an empty classroom.

Closing the door behind them, Naruto just sighed.

"Blake's father is Ghira Belladona," stated Tamao.

"Is that name supposed to mean something?" asked Weiss.

 _"It should if you hate the White Fang so much,"_ thought Naruto as he sat at a chair and put his feet up on the desk, _"Ghira Belladona was the first Supreme Leader of the White Fang."_

Team RWBY looked at the three Faunus in disbelief before Yang started laughing nervously.

"You're joking, right?" asked Yang, "Tell us you three are joking."

 _"Does it look like we're joking?"_ snapped Naruto, causing Yang to recoil.

"Blake's father's time as the Supreme Leader was during the time when the White Fang was a nonviolent group," explained Hana, "However, under pressure from some of the more violent people in the group, he resigned from the post and it was taken over by Sienna Khan."

"Wait!" exclaimed Ruby as she saw where this was going, "Are you also telling us that Yuna is…"

 _"She never wanted to be a part of the group,"_ thought Naruto with guilt in his words, _"Her mother was actually fine with humans until a tribe of them that were being paid by the people of Menagerie killed him. Since then, Yuna has had a strained relationship with her mother that reached its peak two years ago and they stopped communicating since then."_

"We have to tell Professor Ozpin about this!" exclaimed Weiss, "If she tells her mother anything about Beacon's defenses…"

 _"WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!"_ yelled Naruto in his thoughts and getting Weiss to cower behind Yang, _"Her mother was doing human experimentation and she cut herself off from that life."_

"Speaking of Yuna, where is she?" asked Yang as she finally realized that Team NYHT was short a member too.

"She needs some time to herself," said Hana, "She's having a tough time with recent events and just wants to be alone for now. It's probably the same with Blake. Just give her time and she'll come back eventually."

"You sure?" asked Ruby.

"They better," remarked Tamao, "I'm gonna kill Yuna if she doesn't."

They started to head for the door but Ruby remained behind.

"Uh, Naruto?" asked Ruby nervously.

 _"Hm?"_ asked Naruto as he stopped and turned around.

"Would you…" began Ruby as she nervously played with her hands, "Would you… like to… go grab some coffee?"

"Huh?!" exclaimed Team RWBY and NYHT as they stuck their heads back into the room.

Inwardly sighing, Naruto nodded and Ruby's face lit up a little while Team NYHT was dumbstruck.

 _"Lead the way,"_ thought Naruto as he gestured for Ruby to exit first.

Smiling, Ruby left the classroom with Naruto right behind her. Once having gotten over their initial shock, Team RWBY went after the pair while Hana narrowed her eyes.

"No way he's over Pyrrha that quickly," said Tamao suspiciously.

"Agreed," said Hana as they headed back to their room, "He's most likely humoring her," shaking her head, she sighed, "I just hope Gin knows what he's getting into. He knows he's going to break her heart. I'm betting he's feeling just as guilty about this date just as much as he was when he had to erase Pyrrha's memory."

 **(Flashback ~ 2 Years Ago~)**

Yuna packed a small suitcase quickly then turned into a black mist that flew out the open window of her room. As the mist shot away from the compound, a larger cloud of mist engulfed the smaller one then fell to the ground. The mist collected into four different people and Yuna panted as she tossed her suitcase aside and a bow and arrow appeared in her hands in a burst of black mist.

"I'm not going back!" yelled Yuna through tears, "I refuse to go back!"

 _"You misunderstand us, Yunie,"_ thought Naruto as he grabbed Yuna's suitcase at his feet, _"We're not here to stop you."_

Tossing it to Yuna's feet, he surprised her by this as they removed their hoods.

"We're here to see you off," said Tamao as Yuna turned to her.

"Why?" asked Yuna as she looked at Hana.

"Because, we're leaving too," confessed Hana with a smirk.

"Huh?" questioned Yuna.

 _"You know how when someone has done something for so long that they just get tired of it?"_ asked Naruto, _"That's what's happening. We're burned out."_

"But… where are you all going to go?" questioned Yuna.

"We're going to stay with Naruto and Pyrrha for a couple of days as we figure something out," said Tamao as she went up to Yuna and pulled her into a hug, "It's time for the Black Fang to end."

Yuna tearfully hugged back as Hana and Naruto joined in. After hugging for a minute, they turned into a large cloud of mist that flew up high into the air with a small bit heading in one direction while the rest went toward Mistral.

 **(End Flashback)**

"Do you like your coffee?" asked Ruby hopefully as Naruto sipped from his latte.

 _"How did you know I like cinnamon instead of sugar?"_ questioned Naruto as he raised an eyebrow.

"I, uh, sort of asked Hana a couple days before hand," confessed Ruby nervously, "I told her that I was planning on having a brunch and wanted to know how you liked your coffee."

 _"Well, I do admire that you put this much thought into what beverages I prefer,"_ complimented Naruto to the now blushing Ruby, _"What made you pick this place?"_

"Well… this was one of the least discriminatory places to Faunus in the city," said Ruby like she wasn't sure it was okay to talk about that sort of thing, "Plus, it's right next to an awesome weapons shop."

 _"I guess I should've seen that one coming,"_ teased Naruto before he started drinking deep from his cup.

Ruby smiled as she watched the blond as she went over the rest of the day in her head. All the while, Naruto knew what this was leading up to. He knew what he had to do if Ruby was planning on doing what she was going to do. It was then that Naruto noticed something off with Ruby's demeanor.

 _"You okay?"_ asked Naruto as he quickly placed some money on the table.

"Yeah," lied Ruby.

 _"Keep in mind I can tell when you're lying,"_ reminded Naruto as he helped Ruby up and led her out of the coffee shop.

"Well, after that little incident with Weiss, I did some studying," confessed Ruby as they walked down the street, "A lot of it didn't make sense but I did find out something."

 _"And what did you find out?"_ asked Naruto curiously as Ruby turned to him.

"Naruto, I know you're a Neph…" began Ruby before Naruto slammed his hand against her mouth.

 _"One more word and I'll slice your neck open,"_ thought Naruto, seething.

Ruby nodded quickly and Naruto removed his hand. Taking several steps away from Ruby, he ran a hand through his hair as Ruby came up behind him.

 _"How long have you known?"_ asked Naruto as Ruby followed him into a park.

"For about a week," confessed Ruby as they stopped in the middle of the park, "But that's not why I asked you out."

Taking a deep breath, Ruby closed her eyes. When she opened them up, Naruto had disappeared.

* * *

Naruto walked around Beacon like his worst fear had been realized and the color of everything faded.

 **"Looks like you fucked up again,"** said Kronos as he materialized behind Naruto and taunted him.

 _"You don't have to remind me,"_ thought Naruto with a sigh, _"I remember what happened last time someone found out."_

"Then you would also remember that she didn't care about you being a Nephilim," said a woman in a long white cloak with the hood up.

 **"But she also turned into one and almost died,"** said Kronos as he turned to the woman, **"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want that to happen to your daughter, you stupid bitch."**

"I just want my daughter to be happy," said the woman as she stared at Kronos, "You just want to get out and go on a rampage."

 **"And what's wrong with doing what's in my nature?"** questioned Kronos as his weapon appeared in his hand, **"The moment this fool shows enough weakness, I'll take his body for myself!"**

"Enough!" shouted Naruto, causing the pair to look at him, "I've had enough of you both! Leave me the hell alone!"

Both vanished as the world regained its original color while Tamao came up behind him.

"Commander?" she questioned hesitantly.

"Prepare a pyre," ordered Naruto to Tamao's surprise, "I'm not making the same mistake I did 2 years ago."

While she didn't agree with this, Tamao did the White Fang salute before heading off to alert Hana of this. Naruto, meanwhile, fell to all fours as he cried.

 **(Flashback ~ Several Months Ago ~)**

Yuna was currently hammering away at a stone wall with a sledgehammer when someone grabbed the head of the hammer on the backswing. Looking back, Yuna scowled at Naruto as he lowered the hammer down.

 _"Hello, Neko,"_ thought Naruto as Yuna pulled the hammer out of Naruto's hand and the two circled around each other.

"What are you doing here?" she spat out.

 _"Something's come up,"_ explained Naruto as he kept his gaze off her, _"I found information on the artifact."_

Pausing, Yuna narrowed her eyes.

"It actually exists?" she asked doubtingly.

 _"My mother is receiving the information on its location as we speak,"_ informed Naruto, _"We both know the power the artifact could unleash. I've already informed Hana and Tamao of this. We need to secure it before Salem can get it."_

Gritting her teeth, Yuna clenched her hands.

"I gave up everything because of you and Pyrrha," said Yuna angrily, "I can't even use my contacts to check up on my mother because of you."

Taking a deep breath, Naruto brought his hand to his throat and cleared it.

"This is bigger than all of us," said Naruto, causing Yuna to step back in shock.

"Y-You're… talking," said Yuna as she pointed at Naruto with a shaking hand.

"I can only hold this for a little while but it has to be done," said Naruto as he placed his hands over Yuna's ears and leaned in close, "I need you, Yuna."

The girl froze as, for the first time in over six years, she heard sound.

"Just this one last mission together," whispered Naruto before he pulled back and everything went silent again, "You know where I'll be."

The instant Yuna blinked, Naruto had vanished. Slowly reaching up to her ears, she felt them tingle a little before she sensed someone approaching. Looking out at the ground beneath the building she was helping demolish, she saw three people get out of a car and drag a kicking and screaming young boy from the car. Clenching her fists, a black mist gathered at her face and formed a Grimm mask as she picked up the hammer and started dragging it along the floor.

 **(End Flashback)**

Yuna and Blake sat at a café with Sun Wukong, the Monkey Faunus from two days ago, and sipped their tea.

"Finally, one of them speaks!" exclaimed Sun in exaggeration when Blake had just spoken, "Nearly two days you both have given me nothing but small talk and looks."

Yuna frowned as she looked down at her empty cup and saw the tea leaves inside. While she couldn't read them, she just looked at the different shapes. Seeing a spiral in the tea leaves, Yuna suddenly had a lot of guilt as that made her think of one particular person. Looking over at Blake, Yuna saw her mentioning when her father stepped down as Leader of the White Fang.

"You wanna know the worst part of it?" asked Yuna as Blake and Sun looked at her, "I'm one of the people that helped bring rise to that person, Sienna Khan."

"Khan?" asked Sun before he remembered something, "Are you telling me that you're related to that woman?"

"Dear old mom," said Yuna with a sigh of regret, "I never wanted to be a part of that organization. I only joined it to make her happy," she then looked over at Blake, "You think you have it bad? I'm wanted for just being related to her. You may have turned over a new leaf but mine is stained with blood on either side."

* * *

Tossing some more logs on the large funeral pyre that they had made in the Emerald Forest, Hana wiped the sweat off her brow as Tamao came up behind her.

"You think this is enough?" asked Hana as she took some deep breaths.

"I'm sure it's enough," said Tamao as she began placing stone around the pyre.

"It's been two years since we did one of these," said Hana solemnly.

"Not since our Pyrrha was erased," added Tamao as she finished placing the stones around the pyre before turning her head to Hana, "Who do you think the Commander wants to have this for?"

"He said we should only hold one of these if we lose someone close to us," explained Hana before she thought of something, "Wasn't Naruto on that date with Ruby before you found him?"

"Yeah," said Tamao when she realized where this was going, "You don't think that this is for Ruby, do you?"

"It has to be," stated Hana as she sat down and began tracing in the dirt, "She must've done something that would drive the Commander to do this."

"I just hope the Commander knows what he's getting into," hoped Tamao with a heavy heart, "I don't want to have a repeat of what happened after Pyrrha."

 **(That Night)**

Blake and Yuna watched as a freighter unload several large containers of Dust from the Schnee Dust Company when Sun landed next to them with an armful of apples. Yuna kept her gaze on the containers before elbowing Blake.

"Here we go," she said as Sun got down with them to watch the scene unfold.

An airship landed and several White Fang grunts walked out.

"That them?" asked Sun.

"Yes," said Blake solemnly, "It's them."

"I've never known any of the branches to get this much Dust before," remarked Yuna as the White Fang members began hooking up some tow cables, "As much as you didn't want it to happen Blake, it looks like it is."

"Hey!" came a voice that made Blake pause in shock, "What's the hold up?! We're not the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment."

Roman Torchwick descended the loading ramp of the ship and began to oversee what was going on.

"This isn't right," said Blake as she stood up, "The White Fang would never work with a human."

Looking to her left to speak to Yuna, she was only greeted by empty space.

Just as Torchwick was about to chastise one of the grunts, he felt someone grab his arm from behind and cold steel at his neck.

"What the?!" he exclaimed.

"Don't move!" ordered Yuna to everyone.

The grunts drew their weapons and aimed them at Yuna, who let her cat tail flow behind her.

"My name is Yuna Khan!" announced Yuna confidently, "My mother is Supreme Leader Sienna Khan!"

The grunts lowered their weapons slightly as Yuna dug her sword blade closer to Torchwick's jugular.

"I don't think mother would take too kindly to you all working with a human," remarked Yuna as she saw Sienna's projection several yards in front of her.

"Didn't you get the memo?" asked Torchwick slyly, "The White Fang and I are going into business together."

"Tell me what it is or I paint the ground red," ordered Yuna as she gave Roman a shallow cut to the neck, not enough to draw blood but enough to get her point across.

The sound of engines reached everyone's ears as the turbines from the two airships that just arrived trained their guns on Yuna. Keeping her eyes on the ship, Yuna never noticed Torchwick fire at her feet. The resulting explosion sent Yuna flying back but she managed to land on her feet. She then began running to dodge the shots from Torchwick's cane, which exploded on impact and managed to get behind some containers and out of sight. Taking several breaths, Yuna tried to suppress the black mist coming from her body as Sienna's projection appeared before her.

"Why are you just running?" she asked her daughter, "This should be child's play for you."

"You weren't there," said Yuna as she gazed into her mother's eyes, "You didn't see the faces of those crying children as they watched their parents get murdered," covering one eye, Yuna appeared shaken, "That other form just makes it worse. I barely have any control over it. I tore apart countless families and devoured them. I only kill those that deserve it now."

Calming herself, Yuna's aura became visible as she turned away from Sienna.

"These people are just pawns," remarked Yuna before she closed her eyes, "But if we were to actually meet again, I couldn't say the same for you."

Running out from behind the containers, she took her place between Sun and Blake, who had come down to fight Torchwick as well. The human got to his feet and aimed his cane above. He then fired at the chain holding the large container and blew it apart. Sun and Blake jumped out of the way while Yuna dropped her sword and felt to one knee as she held the container up with a lot of effort.

"What I wouldn't give to be Hana right now," grunted Yuna as her arms trembled.

"Hey!" called out Ruby as she appeared on the top of a building with her scythe out.

"Oh, hello, Red!" greeted Torchwick sarcastically as he turned to her, "Aren't you out past your bed time?"

"Ruby?" asked Penny Polendina as she came up behind her, "Are these people your friends?"

"Penny, stay back," warned Ruby.

Torchwick took this chance to fire his cane at her and just as Ruby turned around, she was swept off her feet and in the arms of someone who had grabbed Torchwick's bullet and absorbed the explosion in their left hand. Ruby looked up at Naruto in disbelief as he sat her down and stared down Torchwick.

"Alpha protocol," stated Naruto coldly to Ruby's surprise, "Go help Neko and secure a perimeter."

"Yes, sir!" said Penny with a salute as she launched herself from the roof and went to help Yuna.

"Ruby, you want to know why Nephilim were so feared?" asked Naruto as a black mist gathered at his face to form a Dragon Grimm mask, **"This is why."**

Grabbing the handle of his sword, he jumped off the roof and shattered the ground when he landed. Drawing his odachi, the red blade ignited as he darted forward, cutting down several of the White Fang grunts. Quickly sheathing his sword, he pulled it out again, this time with a blue blade, and the two White Fang grunts that ran at him from either side shattered into small pieces of ice. Sheathing it once again, he spun around as he drew a purple blade that sent an arc of lightning that fried the grunts running at him from behind. Seeing a large group running at him, Naruto did a backflip as he sheathed his sword. The instant he drew the green blade, an enormous gale of wind sent the group flying into the air and away from him.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Sun before he went off to fight some more.

Several airships arrived and fired their guns at Naruto, who jumped away to sheath his sword. Drawing a pitch black blade, when he swung his sword, it sent an arc of black energy from the tip that sliced all the airships in two. The wreckage crashed to the ground about 300 yards behind Ruby, who was watching Naruto in disbelief. One airship began to take off with a container of Dust when Penny came back with several floating swords behind her. Lodging the swords in the side of the airship, Penny pulled it back toward the ground with very thin but strong wire as Naruto snapped his fingers. A loud screech reached everyone's ears just as a giant Nevermore, larger than the one from the entrance exam, swooped down and tore the turbines off the escaping airship before flying away. The ship exploded when it landed and Penny retracted her swords. Penny then made to go after Torchwick, who was escaping in one of two remaining airships, but was stopped by Naruto holding his sword out to block her path.

 **"Leave him,"** said Naruto as he sheathed his sword, **"He won't get far."**

His mask burst in a shower of black mist as he looked back at Ruby, who was still in shock.

 **(Twenty Minutes Later)**

After having given their statements to the police, Naruto and Yuna turned to the approaching Hana and Tamao, who did a quick salute.

"We prepared the pyre, Commander," reported Hana.

"You had them build a funeral pyre?" asked Yuna in surprise.

 _"I have no choice,"_ thought Naruto as they all looked at the reunited Team RWBY, _"I can't take any chances this time."_

 **(Two Hours Later)**

Ruby was sleeping calmly in her bed when a hand covered her mouth and woke her up.

 _"It's me,"_ thought Naruto as Ruby took several deep breaths as she looked up at Naruto's moonlit face, _"Get dressed and come outside."_

Naruto turned into a black mist that seeped out under the door and Ruby sat up. Quickly and as quietly as she could, Ruby got dressed and headed outside. Once she left the building, she saw Naruto was waiting for her in his red robe. Remaining silent, Naruto turned away and began walking. Not knowing what to do, Ruby followed and Naruto soon led her to the Emerald Forest. Following him through the trees, Ruby saw the glowing eyes of countless Grimm from the darkness as they walked.

 _"They won't attack you,"_ said Naruto's voice in her head, _"They know better than to piss me off."_

After several more minutes of walking, Naruto stopped and knelt down. A few seconds later, a fire sprung to life in the massive pile of fallen trees. As he kept his back to her, Naruto reached up to his throat and cleared it.

"This is going to leave me really sick afterward but necessary," said Naruto, keeping his eyes off Ruby, "Tell me."

"Huh?" asked the bewildered Ruby.

"What you wanted to tell me the other day," said Naruto, "I already know what you're going to say but I want to hear it coming from you."

Ruby felt her heart pounding as she lowered her head in guilt.

"I… love you," confessed Ruby, regretting every word she said, "More than siblings should. I've thought about this long and hard. I even asked my dad for his advice. I know you're still getting over the death of your last girlfriend. But I can't help it," she began crying as her lip trembled, "Every time I think of you, it hurts because I can't stand the thought of being away from you. Every time I see you, I get knots in my stomach because you make me so happy," she fell to her knees and sobbed, "Please, tell me. Tell me what I should do. Please, Naruto."

Naruto clenched at his heart and began crying as well. Thoughts of what happened to Pyrrha entered his mind before he grasped the handle of his sword. Turning toward Ruby, Naruto walked up to her and raised the blade, the moonlight glinting off the red metal.


	10. Chapter 10

Hana switched out the warm washcloth for a cold damp one and put it over Naruto's forehead. Yuna spoon fed him some medicine, which the blond coughed up. Tamao sighed as Naruto's breathing continued to be shallow while he appeared to be suffering. He reached out his hand like he was trying to grab something to his side but nothing was there.

"P-Pyrrha," breathed out Naruto weakly and in a strangled voice.

"Pyrrha is on her way, Gin," said Hana as she held his hand, "She'll be here soon. Just relax and get some rest."

Naruto soon drifted off to sleep and the rest of Team NYHT left him to rest.

"This is getting ridiculous," said Yuna in dismay, "He's been like this ever since he talked to Ruby."

"What even happened out there?" wondered Hana aloud as they headed to the cafeteria to get some lunch before looking at Tamao, "Did you get anything from her?"

"No," said Tamao plainly, "Somehow, my Shikigami aren't able to enter her mind."

As they went outside, the trio noticed a falcon circling above them.

"Isn't that…" began Hana as Yuna held up her hand.

The falcon landed on her wrist and she removed the small paper attached to its leg. Opening it, Yuna read the message before feeding the falcon some feed they each carried with them at all times then seny it back into the air.

"What did it say?" asked Tamao.

"He'll be in the next couple of days," announced Yuna, to the shock of the others.

* * *

A boy the age of 17 with black hair wearing a blue sash around his head and a tattered light brown poncho raised his hand in the middle of a forest as the falcon that he'd sent off returned from delivering its message. Resting the falcon on his shoulder, the boy continued through the forest but paused when several Beowolves surrounded him. The falcon took off from the boy's shoulder and landed on the branch of one of the many trees. From its perch, the falcon watched as the Beowolves each were felled by the hidden katana of the boy. Once the coast was clear, the falcon returned to the boy's shoulder as the Grimm mask over his face evaporated like the corpses of the Grimm around him.

 **(The Next Day)**

Ruby awoke to the sound of constant ringing in her ears as everything seemed to have had the sound it made amplified by about 500%. Looking at Weiss, Blake, and Yang, who were experiencing the same effects, all of them sluggishly trudged to the bathroom to get ready for the day. After getting dressed, they headed for the cafeteria when they passed by Team JNPR.

"Hey, guys!" called out Jaune.

All four girls shot Jaune a look of tired rage causing both him and Nora to jump back in fright. Prryha raised an eyebrow and this and when Team RWBY had turned away, she picked up a small pebble then threw it at the back of Weiss's head. Weiss reached back and grabbed the pebble before throwing it back at Jaune, who was hit square in the forehead and fell to the ground. They continued on their way, not noticing the disturbed girls of Team NYHT had seen all this go down.

"No," said Hana, "He didn't… did he?"

"It couldn't be," said Tamao, "They would've destroyed the place if he had… right?"

"We can't take any chances," said Yuna seriously, "We need to keep an eye on them. If they show any signs of a Purge, we need to put them down."

* * *

Team RWBY slumped onto their table in the cafeteria while Teams JNPR and NYHT took seats close by to observe them. As the four girls ate, all of them covered their ears in attempt to dampen the amplified noises of everybody. Frowning, Tamao silently muttered something and an invisible entity snaked its way through the legs of everyone and over to Team RWBY. The entity stopped next to Weiss's head and when the heiress turned in that direction, she let out a shriek and jumped into Yang, knocking them both off the bench as everyone looked at them.

"What was that for?!" demanded the angry Yang as she shoved Weiss off her.

Everyone but Team NYHT was surprised by the fact that Yang had pushed Weiss about five feet back. Weiss's outfit began smoking and she began yelling as she dropped to the ground and rolled, freezing the ground while also putting the flames out. Team NYHT seemed concerned about this while the entity from before brushed up against Blake's ankle. When the black haired Faunus stomped on the ground in attempt to kill whatever had touched her, the entire floor shattered and caused a stalagmite to emerge from the ground and pin Ruby against the ceiling by her cape.

"Ruby!" exclaimed Yang as flames danced at her feet while Ruby tried to get free of her cape, which was strangling her.

Managing to get free, she attempted to shield herself from the fall when she noticed she wasn't falling as fast as she should. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was falling extremely slowly before gently landing on her feet. In less than an instant, everyone was back to where they were a minute ago while Yuna panted heavily as Hana seemed like she was about to pass out.

"Well… that confirms it," said Yuna as she tried to catch her breath, "He turned them into Nephilim."

 **(That Afternoon)**

Ruby hummed as she walked toward Team NYHT's room with a basket in hand. Arriving at the room, she heard voices inside and opened it up to find Blake taking care of Naruto.

"Uh, what are you doing here, Blake?" asked Ruby.

"Well…" began Blake nervously, "I just…"

"Well, this is awkward," said Pyrrha as she entered the room.

"What is going on here?!" asked Ruby as she sat her basket on the nightstand next to Naruto's bed.

"I'm here because I overheard Yuna mention that Naruto was calling out for me in his sleep," explained Pyrrha as she sat down on a bed then looked at Blake, "What about you?"

Blake remained silent but looked away with a small blush on her face.

"Oh," said Pyrrha with a sly smile on her face, "Looks like the little kitty has a crush on the blond boy."

"No!" exclaimed Blake as she shot to her feet with her face completely red now, "I just… like the talks we've had."

"And what would those talks…" began Pyrrha before she looked off to the side in surprise, "No way…"

"What?" asked Ruby as she and Blake looked at the wall.

Pyrrha ran out of the room with Ruby and Blake on her heels. Once outside, Pyrrha headed toward the loading docks for the airships and saw a single boy approaching. He wore a light brown poncho and a blue sash around his head. He had jet black hair and black eyes while also wearing black pants and combat boots. Pyrrha's hand began shaking as the boy walked by her but stopped in her tracks.

"Stay down, Pyrrha," said the boy as he continued on his way.

Pyrrha's legs shook and she fell to her knees as the boy walked by Ruby and Blake, with Ruby noticing the nihilistic expression on his face.

"Nephilim…" murmured Ruby.

The boy stopped in his tracks and looked over at Ruby with the same expression on his face.

"Silver eyes…" said the boy in the same calm tone he had used with Pyrrha.

He then looked in front of him and jumped back to avoid Hana's fist, which shattered the ground he once stood on. Landing on his feet he jumped back to avoid the slash of Yuna's sword while also catching the lightning that Tamao fired from her bow and deflecting it into the sky. A crowd began to gather as the three girls of Team NYHT blocked the boy's path and got ready to fight.

"I can see this is going to go just like last time," said the boy calmly.

"You have no business being here, Sasuke," said Tamao with conviction in her voice, "You lost your chance 4 years ago."

"Would that be before or after I reported you four?" asked Sasuke calmly as he drew a katana from his hip.

The three girls and Sasuke charged each other and prepared to strike when Naruto appeared between them. His sword drawn with a black blade as he deflected Yuna and Sasuke's swords with it while he caught Hana's fist with his free hand and pinned Tamao's bow to the ground. The girls seemed surprised by this as Naruto still appeared to be in pain and sweating profusely. Taking several deep breaths, Naruto stayed as he was when Ozpin arrived with Goodwitch.

"Welcome, Mr. Uchiha," greeted Ozpin happily but with caution as well, "I see you met your old friends."

Sasuke withdrew his sword and sheathed it behind him.

 _"Put them away,"_ thought Naruto weakly as he let go of Hana's fist and stepped off of Tamao's bow.

The girls put away their weapons and Naruto collapsed with Sasuke catching him. He put Naruto's arm over his shoulder then picked up his sword before walking with Ozpin and the rest of Team NYHT to Ozpin's office while Goodwitch got to work fixing the damages to the stone path. Ruby and Blake hurried over to Pyrrha to help her up but Pyrrha shook them off as she got to her feet. Hurrying on her way, Pyrrha hid from sight before looking at the faint black mist emanating from her hand.

* * *

Ozpin, Sasuke, and Team NYHT entered Ozpin's office with Sasuke setting Naruto onto a chair as Ozpin went and sat behind his desk.

"Now, I know you girls have some questions," said Ozpin calmly.

"Why is he here?!" demanded Yuna as she pointed accusingly at Sasuke, "He's responsible for the Massacre of the Glimmering Sands!"

"I also recall you and the others massacring almost everyone at Haven Academy on your first mission," retorted Sasuke calmly.

 _"He's working for me,"_ thought Naruto weakly as he reached out toward Sasuke, who handed him a canteen which the blond drank deeply from, _"Thanks for the medicine, by the way."_

"Not at all," replied Sasuke as Naruto drank from the canteen again, finishing off the contents.

 _"I've been having him watch the artifact for me,"_ explained Naruto as he slowly sat himself up in the chair, _"He's been guarding it for the past 4 years."_

"I thought you only learned about its location just before we arrived," reminded Tamao.

 _"That scroll my mother got was a spell to locate it,"_ replied Naruto with a little more strength, _"I've known where it's been for years."_

"And you never thought to tell us?!" questioned Hana accusingly, "We're your friends!"

 _"I did tell you,"_ thought Naruto as he looked out the window off to the side, _"Think about everything we talked about since we were here."_

The trio of girls remained silent for a minute before it suddenly dawned on them what Naruto was referring to.

 _"Any who, I suppose you three want to talk about what's going on with Team RWBY,"_ thought Naruto in shame.

"What about them?" asked Ozpin as he took a drink from his mug.

"He turned them into Nephilim," responded Yuna with a glare to Naruto.

Sasuke looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow while Ozpin choked on his drink.

 _"No, I didn't,"_ thought Naruto in annoyance, _"I turned them into Archdemons."_

The girls fell silent and looked at each other while Ozpin and Sasuke just seemed intrigued.

"What's an Archdemon?" asked Hana.

"Archdemons are, I guess you could say, a primitive version of Nephilim," explained Ozpin, "They're nowhere near as powerful but just as destructive as them."

"Basically, they only have access to the Stage 1 of transformation but it's impossible for them to enter Stage 2," finished Sasuke, "Which is when the connection to Salem manifests."

"But either way, they're going to be needing training in order to use those powers," stated Tamao.

 _"I've got the Ice Queen,"_ thought Naruto angrily.

"Uh… How about I take her?" suggested Hana before getting shot a death glare from the blond, "Or… perhaps you should take her."

* * *

Pyrrha forced the black mist that was leaking out of her hand down before panting heavily.

 _ **"So, our connection has be reestablished,"**_ said a dark feminine voice in Pyrrha's head, _**"We really should catch up."**_

Pyrrha slammed her fist against a tree, shattering the trunk as she tried to tune out the voice.

 _"No,"_ she thought, _"Never again."_

 **(An Hour Later)**

Naruto sat in an empty classroom with his feet up on the desk just as Weiss ran inside.

"Sorry, I'm late," she apologized quickly as she took a seat at the desk in front of Naruto, "I got a little chilly and was trying to find something warm," she kept her gaze on the empty desk as she swallowed the lump in her throat, "Are you sure you should be helping me study today? You could still be sick."

 _"I had an old friend bring me some medicine from Vacuo,"_ replied Naruto coldly as he stood up and went to the front of the classroom, _"Get down here."_

Weiss hurried to the front of the room and stood behind Naruto with her head lowered.

 _"How good are you with your Semblance?"_ questioned Naruto.

"Huh?" asked Weiss as she raised her head, not expecting the question.

 _"Compared to Winter, how much have you mastered your Semblance?"_ rephrased Naruto, _"Can you summon Avatars?"_

"Sadly, no," said Weiss in shame, "But what does that have to do with Grimm Studies?"

 _"More than you think,"_ thought Naruto as he turned to her, _"One of the reasons Ozpin is having me tutor you is to improve your endurance."_

"He has?" asked Weiss.

 _"Sometimes, when fighting a Grimm, all you need to stop them is to show dominance,"_ explained Naruto, _"You saw it when that Grimm attacked in the forest while we were gathering sap for Professor Peach."_

"Oh yeah," said Weiss as she remembered that day, "But what does that have to do with endurance?"

Naruto stared into Weiss's eyes and the girl tensed up, feeling a large amount of pressure on her back, trying to force her to her knees. But Weiss held firm, abet a little shakily.

 _"Before now, whenever I locked eyes with you or put out even just a little killing intent, you'd either run out of the room or pass out,"_ thought Naruto as he let the pressure on Weiss subside, _"But now, you're pushing through it. That's trained your endurance."_

Weiss stood up fully as Naruto snapped his fingers behind him without taking his eyes off of her. A white glyph appeared behind him, giving off an extremely cold breeze from it.

 _"Today, I'm going to teach you to channel that same intent I was giving off into your glyph to allow you to teleport,"_ explained Naruto.

"And how do I do that?" asked Weiss, "I'm been trying to do that for years but haven't gotten anywhere with it. And how are you able to use glyphs?"

 _"How I'm able to is none of your business,"_ thought Naruto condescendingly, _"And you do it by surrendering control of the glyph and letting your instincts take over while also maintaining an objective in your mind. You are to teleport to your room in the dorms."_

"I surrender control?" questioned Weiss as she began to shiver a little from the breeze coming off the glyph behind Naruto.

Gesturing for her to follow, Naruto stepped through the glyph and Weiss complied.

* * *

Weiss shook as she stepped out into a snowstorm on top of a mountain.

"Where are we?" she asked as she rubbed her arms to try and regain feeling in them.

 _"The tallest peak in Atlas,"_ replied Naruto calmly, _"Far from any human or Faunus contact and out of range of the CCTS."_

Weiss began getting even more uncomfortable as a very intimate part of her was starting to freeze.

 _"At this temperature, an Archdemon can last for 30 minutes before losing total loss of function,"_ thought Naruto.

"A what?" asked Weiss as she looked around.

 _"But you'll probably go into shock within the first two,"_ thought Naruto as he headed toward the glyph.

"What?!" exclaimed Weiss as she wheeled around.

 _"Surrender, princess,"_ taunted Naruto as Weiss dove for the glyph after Naruto had passed through but only hit the snowy floor.

Weiss shivered and her breathing became labored.

* * *

Naruto stepped out of the classroom to find Sasuke leaning against the opposite wall.

"What happened?" he asked as Naruto raised his left hand to his throat.

"She's training," replied Naruto as he walked with Sasuke to the dorms.

"You didn't dump her in the middle of nowhere did you?" questioned Sasuke.

"Perhaps," said Naruto like it was no big deal before he lowered his head, "Did she say anything when you two spoke?"

"Besides just talking about how miserable she is, she was wondering how you were," reported Sasuke as they turned a corner, "You should apologize."

"I will once Hell freezes over," shot back Naruto as they passed by a tree, causing it to wither up and die, "After what happed when I was five, she'll be lucky to even kiss the ground I walk on."

Naruto suddenly collapsed and Sasuke quickly checked up on him.

"How much of that medicine did you take?" he asked the blond as he helped him up.

"All of it," said Naruto with practically no strength and now looking incredibly tired.

"You're supposed to take half then wait 12 hours before finishing it off," scolded Sasuke as he helped Naruto along, "Vacuo Fever isn't something you should take lightly."

* * *

Weiss shivered as she attempted to create a glyph back to Beacon in the massive snowstorm before grunting in frustration. Looking around, Weiss fell to her knees.

 _"I don't want to die out here!"_ she thought fearfully, _"I don't want to die!"_

As she cried, countless images flew across her eyes before it settle on one. Grunting in anger, she felt the world become distant. She got to her feet and panted angrily. Reaching to the right right of her face to wipe away her frozen tears, A black mist that seemed to glow blue appeared in her hand.

* * *

Arriving at Team RWBY's empty room as it was closer, Sasuke helped Naruto to a bed and helped him lay down when a ringing reached their ears. Looking in the middle of the room, they both saw a white glyph appear as Weiss stumbled out of it. Falling to her knees, Weiss fell forward and the white mask on her face fell off, bursting into a black mist.

 **(That Night)**

Pyrrha stood atop Beacon Tower and looked out at the starry sky. She then gazed at her hand, which was still emitting a black mist. Sighing, she lowered her hand and continued to gaze forward unto the horizon.

"What do you want?" asked Pyrrha as she closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"How long have your memories been back?" questioned Sasuke as he appeared on an adjacent tower.

"Since Naruto told me to pursue a relationship with Jaune," responded Pyrrha remorsefully, "He should've looked into that spell he was using. It only works on each individual once."

"How bad is Salem's voice getting?" asked Sasuke in concern.

"Not too bad," replied Pyrrha, "She's not speaking right now so I'm just enjoying the silence."

"That's good," said Sasuke as he took a seat on the ledge.

"How is she?" asked Pyrrha hopefully, "Is she alright?"

"Summer is fine," assured Sasuke, "She's on Menagerie being taken care of by some people Naruto and I trust."

Pyrrha let off a sigh of relief before sitting as well.

"Why did everything have to turn out like this for us?" asked Pyrrha, "Everything we fought for and we can't even enjoy it."

"Perhaps the brothers don't favor us but we are destined to forge our own path and not the ones they laid out for us," stated Sasuke as he held his stump of a shoulder where his left arm was supposed to be, "We both know what's going to happen if you transform again."

Pyrrha nodded and looked toward the dorms.

"If it's to protect the one that I love, I'll gladly accept that," she said while standing up.

"Would that be Jaune or Naruto?" questioned Sasuke.

Pyrrha remained silent and turned into a black smoke that flew toward the dorms.


	11. Chapter 11

Team NYHT, along with Naruto, who was using a walking stick for support, and Sasuke, waited in the elevator after the Atlesian Military arrived. They each had a scowl on their faces before their masks appeared over them along with long black coats with their hoods down. When the door opened up, Ironwood turned to them and froze in shock.

 **"Been a long time, General Ironwood,"** said Kronos as he hobbled over to Ozpin's desk, but was stopped by Ironwood's revolver pointed right at the side of his head.

Ironwood himself, however, was stopped by the two swords crossed over his neck, the arrow pointed at the base of his skull, and a fist an inch from the small of his back.

 **"I dare you,"** said Ghoul with distain laced in her voice.

Ozpin got out of his chair and let Kronos sit down to rest.

"How did you survive?" demanded Ironwood, "I saw the building come down on you."

 **"I'm sure you did,"** said Kronos as he put his feet up, **"You four can remove your weapons by the way."**

The other four Nephilim put their weapons away as Kronos met Ironwood's gaze.

"Why are they here?" demanded Ironwood of Ozpin.

"They're students here," informed Ozpin, "Well, all except Taka."

 **"And before you get the wrong idea, James, do you know what the philosophy and final goal of the Black Fang is?"** questioned Kronos.

"It doesn't matter what you and your kind think," said Ironwood as he slammed his hands on the table, "A thousand years ago, your kind almost wiped out humanity."

Sighing, Kronos stood up and went over to the window, gazing down at the countless students and Atlesian Robots walking about.

 **"Our philosophy is that nobody, not even Faunus, are innocent of the crimes they've committed,"** said Kronos, **"In the time between our fall and now, we got rid of countless Faunus criminals."**

"But not Sienna Khan," shot back Ironwood.

 **"Of course not,"** said Kronos, **"Lady Sienna is the one person we owe for bringing us together. Were she to try playing God, we would get rid of her. She's fighting for her species survival, despite all the attempts of Atlas to prevent that."**

"I've been fighting for Faunus Rights in Atlas," argued Ironwood, "But I'm only one man and it would take centuries to erase all that discrimination."

 **"We know that,"** said Kronos calmly, **"Which is why we haven't targeted you. But our philosophy and our final goal align with you and the rest of Ozpin's little cult."**

He hobbled toward the elevator but stopped halfway there.

"Something wrong?" questioned Goodwitch.

 **"It would seem that your security has failed, General,"** said Neko, **"Three of Salem's agents just entered the grounds of the Academy."**

"And just how do you know this?" asked Ozpin curiously.

 **"Nephilim can sense the power of the maidens,"** said Taka, **"Specifically, we can sense two beings that possess the power of the Fall Maiden."**

Entering the elevator, the quintet looked at the three humans and put their hoods up.

 **"Strike one, Ozpin,"** said Kronos as the door closed and the elevator descended.

 **(Ten Minutes Later)**

Blake fell to her knees as Yuna placed a sword to her neck before removing it.

"If you fight like this, then you might as well head back to Menagerie," scolded Yuna as he kicked Blake back into a tree.

The cat Faunus grunted in pain as Yuna walked up to her again. This time, she took a seat in front of the girl.

"Are you still concerned about those members of the White Fang from the other night?" probed Yuna. "Or is this about the message you got from your mother about her and your father getting divorced?"

"Both," confessed Blake with a sigh, "The White Fang and Faunus are supposed to be better than this."

"That's where you're wrong," said Yuna, "Our race is just as every bit of evil as humans. We got where we are through bloodshed and tragedy just like humans. And that's your weakness, Blake."

"What is?" questioned Blake as Yuna pulled her sword off her lower back and held it on her lap.

"You believe that the Faunus are perfect, despite what you've seen them do," said Yuna as she looked at her sword's sheath, "We're not perfect. Despite our advantages over humans, they still possess abilities we don't just as we possess ones they envy."

Standing up, Yuna held her sheathed blade to Blake and frown.

"Take this from me," said Yuna.

Blake reached for the sword but Yuna kicked her hand away.

"I didn't say you could just take it," said Yuna as she reattached the sword to her lower back, "You are to try and take this from me."

Blake got to her feet and took a step forward before Yuna's palm was over her face. Blake froze and her arms went limp as Yuna lowered her head.

"Please, forgive me for showing you this," said Yuna as a violet light emanated from under her palm.

 **(Flashback)**

Yuna walked through Kuo Kuana when felt something coming from an ally. Looking down through the darkness, she walked down through the darkness and peered around a corner. Her eyes widened when she saw a human woman that was one of the merchants from the mainland on the ground with a pair of hands wrapped around her throat what surprised her more was the identity of the one who was killing the woman. A female Faunus with black hair and cat ears

 **(End Flashback)**

Blake screamed in horror as she jumped away from Yuna looked like she'd seen her worst fear. She was shaking and trying to regain her bearings.

"I must say, when I saw that, I was shocked to find out that the wife of a Faunus that advocated for peace was murdering a human," said Yuna, "You're mother is nothing but a murderer. She just as bad as mine."

Smiling sinisterly, Yuna leaned in close to one of Blake's human ears.

"I look forward to spilling the blood of those pretend friends of your… sister," whispered Yuna tauntingly.

Blake yelled again and Yuna jumped back to avoid the jagged spikes of rock that shot out from the cat Faunus's feet. A black mist with a violet light gathered at her face, turning into a mask that was eerily similar to her old White Fang one. Shooting by Yuna, Blake grabbed her sword before Yuna appeared behind her and knocked her out with a swift chop to the back of the neck, her mask vanishing in the same mist that had created it. Kneeling down, Yuna turned Blake over then sighed.

"As much as I hate having to do that, I can't let you fall behind the others," said Yuna as she threw Blake over her shoulder, "I just hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me for what I did."

* * *

Naruto sat in one of two armchairs inside Team NYHT's room in front of the fireplace with a fire going. Hearing a strange noise behind him. He heard footsteps approach and everything seemed to lose its color slightly as Raven took the other chair.

 _"Been awhile, mother,"_ thought Naruto tiredly as he stared at the frozen flames.

"What's wrong with you?" questioned Raven as she removed her helmet.

 _"Vacuo Fever,"_ explained Naruto as he continued to keep his gaze off her, _"Why did you choose now to come here? You had months to do so."_

"I heard about what happened at the docks," said Raven as she looked over at the sheathed Dust Sword that Naruto had been using, "It would seem you've mastered it."

 _"It was only a matter of time,"_ thought Naruto as he held up a scroll, _"The artifact isn't something that humans can use. That kind of power would corrupt anyone who had it."_

"You mean your daughter?" asked Raven with a sly smirk on her face.

 _"I'd be careful of your next words,"_ advised Naruto a little forcefully, _"But, yes. Mine and Pyrrha's daughter."_

"Why didn't you just tell me?" questioned Raven seriously, "I could've protected her."

 _"Call me old fashioned but you've never particularly been one who cares about family,"_ thought Naruto as he closed his eyes, _"And I mean your blood relatives."_

Raven remained silent at this before putting her helmet back on. Going over to the Dust Sword, she collected it as Naruto threw the scroll and threw it onto the frozen flames. Drawing the red blade of the sword, Raven created a portal then sheathed the weapon.

"And to prove you wrong, if I didn't care about my blood relatives, then I wouldn't have given you Summer's eye or saved you 12 years ago," said Raven as color returned to the world and she entered the portal.

The instant it closed, the door opened and Tamao walked in.

"Something wrong?" she asked before she noticed Naruto's sword was gone, "Where's your sword?"

"I had hoped to never have to take up that blade again," said Naruto as he stood up and hobbled over to Tamao, placing a hand on her breast, "Please, forgive me for hiding it in you."

Tamao let out a silent scream of pain as Naruto's hand sunk into her chest via a white light.

* * *

Yang stepped out of an elevator and into a pitch black void. Walking around, she took in the eerie silence before she tensed. Looking down, Yang saw a hand protruding from her chest and slowly looked back at Lunar as blood dribbled down out of the corner of her cheek. As her vision turned black, Yang fell off of Lunar's hand before she staggered forward, her vision back to normal. Feeling her chest, Yang found that it was completely normal before jumping forward to avoid Lunar's fist.

"Who are you?" questioned Yang as she got into a fighting stance with Ember Celica activating.

Lunar remained silent, causing Yang to get angry and her Semblance to activate. Charging forward, Yang swung her fists at Lunar, only succeeding in hitting air. When Yang lunged forward to deliver a punch that hit air, Lunar kicked her in the stomach, shattering the girl's spine and several internal organs. Just as she thought she was going to die, Yang blinked and found herself in the middle of fighting Lunar again.

 _"What's going on?"_ thought Yang as she took a moment to collect her thoughts, _"I swear that I died twice."_

Going in again, Yang used the gun function of Ember Celica to make her swings fast but still couldn't connect. Lunar gave Yang's throat a sharp jab, decapitating her internally. Just as her body went limp, it went tense and Yang continued to fight Lunar as her anger grew and grew. The cycle continued for what seemed like eons. Yang would appear to die but she'd somehow come back to life and continue fighting. As it continued on, Yang slowly felt everything else in her life vanish. All that mattered was killing this woman. Yang's normal fighting style became erratic and animalistic as she began forgetting who she was. It was at this moment, as she went in for another attack, a black mist with a yellowish glow gathered at her face and solidified into a mask that was similar to Lunar's.

Suddenly accelerating, Yang managed to cut a piece of Lunar's mask off before going in for another punch. Lunar caught Yang's fist as well as the other and stared into Yang's eyes, which had lost all humanity in them. Rearing her head back, Lunar slammed her head against Yang's, shattering their masks and knocking Yang unconscious. Panting heavily, Hana looked at the unconscious blond girl before falling to her rear.

"Next lesson, making sure she gets a grip on reality while fighting," remarked Tamao to herself before picking up Yang and heading toward the elevator.

 **(That Night)**

Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder walked by Ruby on the way to their dormitory when Emerald tripped.

"Why did you trip me, Mercury?" demanded Emerald as she got to her feet.

"That wasn't me," said Mercury as he held up his hands.

"Stop it, you two," said Cinder before she froze when something brushed up against her leg.

Turning around, she saw nothing there when everything seemed to lose a bit of color around them.

"Uh, what's going on?" questioned Emerald in a slightly concerned tone.

 **"What's going on is that you three aren't welcome here,"** said Kronos, who was using a walking stick, while the other members of the Black Fang surrounded the trio, cutting off their escape.

"Well, it's good to see you, Kronos," said Cinder with a smile that vanished almost instantly when Kronos grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against a wall.

 **"It's Lord Kronos to you, human,"** said Kronos before he threw Cinder to the feet of Mercury and Emerald, **"I'll give you three one warning."**

Pulling a katana from his walking stick, he pointed it right between Mercury and Emerald's eyes before pointing the tip right over Cinder's covered left eye.

 **"You do anything that gets in our way and I'll send you all back to Salem in pieces,"** stated Kronos before the members of the Black Fang turned into a black mist that flew quickly down the hall and out of sight as everything regained its normal color.

Cinder hyperventilated as her hands flew to her throat, feeling the burning sensation from where Kronos had touched her while Emerald fell to her rear from the sudden release of pressure on her and Mercury used the wall for support.

* * *

Ozpin sipped his evening tea when the window shattered and the Black Fang entered his office. Setting the cup down onto a small plate, the Headmaster of Beacon met the gaze of Kronos.

"What can I do for you, my dear friend?" he asked.

 **"Expel Ruby Rose,"** said Kronos as he pointed his katana at Ozpin.


	12. Chapter 12

Ruby and Naruto sat alone on a bench next to a river after they and their teams had broken curfew to spend a night in the city of Vale. Everyone else was currently doing their own thing as the two siblings just looked up at the broken moon while basking in its light.

"So, a Nephilim caused that?" asked Ruby curiously.

 _"That's what the legend says,"_ replied Naruto, _"Saint Noctus, the leader of the Grand Pantheon, fought his enemy and shattered the moon as a result of their battle."_

"Wow," said Ruby in awe.

 _"Ruby, do you know why it is that Huntsmen and Huntresses are put into teams?"_ questioned Naruto with his thoughts lined in regret.

"Well, the intention is to foster empathy and teamwork, as well as everlasting bonds, between team members," said Ruby after a moment of thought.

 _"Correct,"_ confirmed Naruto, _"But not all teams stay together. Take out parents' team. Team STRQ was the best team of their generation and they went their separate ways. Just like what happened with Yuna, the others, as well as myself."_

"But it's going to probably be hard for that to happen with Yang and I," said Ruby, "We are sisters after all."

 _"But what happens if one of you is killed?"_ asked Naruto seriously.

Ruby fell silent and a little uncomfortable about the question since she had never thought about that particular scenario.

 _"That's the one thing these schools don't prepare you for,"_ thought Naruto as he kept his gaze at on the moon, _"They don't teach you how to deal with working on your own should something happen to your team,"_ Naruto then looked directly into Ruby's eyes, _"There may come a day when you have to face a trial on your own without anyone to help you. If you want to succeed, you need to never give up. You have to continue fighting to protect those that you love."_

Getting to his feet, Naruto stretched and began heading off.

 _"I'm going to go find my team and head back to the dorms,"_ thought Naruto as he walked away, _"You better find your team too."_

Once Naruto was out of sight, Ruby remained sitting for a moment before getting to her feet and going to find her teammates. Walking into the Commercial District, Ruby turned a corner and saw a familiar Faunus with black hair and cat ears.

"Blake!" called out Ruby as she approached.

Blake turned toward Ruby when the building behind her exploded, knocking the Faunus off her feet. Ruby looked in horror as what could only be described as a Faunus with large black wings and what appeared to be a bird's head stepped out of the flames with a sword in its right hand while flexing the talon it had for a left arm. The Faunus flew up into the sky and out of sight as Ruby finally shook off her shock then ran over to the unconscious Blake. Ruby propped the girl up, feeling a warm liquid on her hand. Looking at her hand, Ruby trembled at the sight of blood before holding Blake in a tight embrace.

"Somebody, help!" she called out through tears.

 **(The Following Morning)**

Ruby sat outside the infirmary where Blake was resting as Ozpin had instructed the rest of Team RWBY to wait in their room. Ozpin was currently inside with Goodwitch, General Ironwood, and Blake to try and figure out what had happened. After several minutes, Ozpin walked out with the others, with Blake still inside, and motioned for Ruby to follow them. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Ruby silently followed them to the elevator then up to Ozpin's office. Once Ozpin had taken a seat behind his desk, he leaned forward and lowered his head.

"Have you… anything to say about what happened last night?" asked Ozpin sadly.

"How's Blake?" asked Ruby hopefully.

"Miss Belladona will survive," informed Goodwitch, "The shrapnel barely missed her spine and vital organs but she will require extensive physical therapy to be able to function like she used to."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Ruby then looked at Ozpin, seeing his eyes were now full of shame and regret.

"Before I make any decision about what happened, tell me your version of the story," said Ozpin.

"Well, Naruto and his team were planning on sneaking out after curfew to go let off some steam before the Vytal Festival and asked us if we wanted to join them," explained Ruby, getting Ozpin and Goodwitch to each raise an eyebrow, "Once we got to town, we all split off into pairs and Naruto and I went to sit in the park and we just talked about stuff."

"Anything else?" questioned Ironwood.

"Well, after we had finished talking and Naruto had gone off to find his team, I went off to find mine and I came across Blake," recalled Ruby before she shook at the memory, "After the explosion, this… bird like Faunus came out of the fire then flew away."

"What did this Faunus look like?" asked Goodwitch.

"Well, you know how Faunus can only have one trait from an animal?" asked Ruby and getting a small nod in return from Ozpin, "This one actually looked sort of like a bird. He had the head of a bird and a talon for a left hand."

The three adults remained silent for a moment before Ozpin sighed.

"Ruby, Team NYHT never left their room last night," explained Ozpin.

"What?" asked Ruby in disbelief, "But, Naruto was there."

"Mr. Branwen told us that they had changed their minds about breaking curfew and stayed in while you and Miss Belladona went out against the wishes of your other teammates," relayed Ozpin.

"I swear, we all went to the city," said Ruby fearfully.

"I do believe you, Miss Rose," said Ozpin, "But given that you not only broke curfew, but also aren't taking responsibility for your actions that left your teammate injured leaves me little choice in the matter."

Standing up, Ozpin walked over to the window and stare out at Beacon.

 **(Half an Hour Later)**

"Do you think Ruby is going to be okay?" questioned Weiss worriedly.

"I just can't believe she and Blake would go out and not tell us!" said Yang, having entered Big Sister Mode, "They could've gotten killed! If they had just told us that they were going, we could've helped them and made sure this didn't happen!"

There was a knock on the door and Yang went and opened it to see a Ruby that looked crestfallen. Yang angrily stormed over to Blake's bed and sat down as Ruby entered.

"You went out without permission and nearly got yourself and Blake killed," scolded Yang as Ruby appeared on the verge of tears, "You're a team leader and you need to start acting like one. This isn't a game, Ruby. We could very well die at any time."

"Yang!" said Ruby as she finally worked up the courage to use her voice.

Yang finally looked up at Ruby and saw the pain on her face.

"I… I just got expelled," said Ruby as tears ran down her cheeks.

"What?!" exclaimed Weiss and Team JNPR, who had been listening from outside the door.

"Ozpin said that because I broke curfew and didn't act like a team leader by letting Blake go out…" began Ruby before she finally started crying and fell to her knees.

Yang went over to her sister then got on her knees and hugged her with everyone joining soon after.

* * *

"I hope you know what you're doing, Gin," said Tamao as Team NYHT sat in their room and seemed remorseful about what they had done, "You have probably broken that girl's spirit."

Naruto sat quietly by an open fire as he cleaned a katana, taking a lot of care not to cut himself with it. All the while, he had a remorseful expression on his face.

 **(Several Hours Later)**

Ruby stood at the aerial docking bay with Team JNPR, Weiss, and Yang and a small suitcase on wheels next to her. Hugging each of them, Ruby hugged Yang for a while before they all heard a wheelchair rolling over to them. They all looked and seemed surprised by the sight of Blake's arrival with Ozpin escorting her. Blake rolled up to Ruby and they stared at each other.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop you from getting hurt," apologized Ruby as she looked at the ground.

Blake responded by pulling Ruby into a comforting hug and closed her eyes.

"It's okay," assured Blake, "I'm not mad. It was my fault."

Ruby started crying again before Ozpin cleared his throat. Taking the hint, Ruby let go of Blake before grabbing her suitcase and slowly heading toward the airship that was bound for Patch. As she walked along the walkway, she saw Team NYHT and Sasuke standing off in the distance watching her. As soon as she got to the airship, she noticed the falcon on Sasuke's shoulder was looking at her curiously. Shaking it off, she got onto the airship and it took off two minutes later.

 **(The Following Day)**

Ruby sat silently in a fetal position in her room, not having moved since she arrived. Taiyang came in a sighed when he saw Ruby hadn't eaten the food he'd given her. Going over to Ruby's scroll, he checked the messages then looked at her.

"You know, you received calls from your old team," he informed his daughter.

When she didn't respond, Taiyang sat the scroll down and sat down at the end of Ruby's bed. He tried pulling her into a hug but Ruby pushed him away.

"I was just like you are now at one time or another," remarked Taiyang, "When Yang's mom left, I was in the same state you are now. I was also like this when your mother vanished."

When he failed to get Ruby to budge, he stood up and crouched down in front of her.

"I'll tell you what," said Taiyang hopefully, "Tomorrow, we'll head into town and go to your favorite restaurant. Afterwards, we can go rent a movie and eat all the cookies you want."

Getting up, he headed out but stopped in the doorway to look back at Ruby.

"It's going to get better, Ruby," said Taiyang as he headed out.

 **(Five Days Later)**

Ruby left her house in the middle of the night without Crescent Rose with lifeless eyes and headed through the forest. As she did so, countless Grimm watched her from the shadows, stalking their prey. After walking for a while, Ruby arrived at an abandoned building and fell to her knees with her head hug. The Grimm surrounded Ruby and prepared to strike. Just as one pounced at Ruby, it was broken into two pieces by the fist of someone with glowing red eyes wearing black armor with red accents. Ruby looked up at the person who stopped the Grimm and remained silent as the person stared down the Grimm, who appeared frightened.

 **"Scram,"** spat out the feminine voice of the person.

The Grimm ran away as fast as they could before the woman looked down at Ruby.

 **"Are you really that much of a coward?"** questioned the woman seriously, **"Just because you lost what you thought you wanted, you tried to end it all?"**

Ruby just stared at the woman, who knelt down to be somewhat at Ruby's level.

 **"What about your family?"** asked the woman, sounding like she was trying to empathize with Ruby, **"What about your friends? What about the one you love?"**

"The one… I love?" asked Ruby distantly.

 **"If Taka gets his hands on the Relic of Choice, it'll be the end of everything,"** said the woman, **"He won't hesitate to kill those you care about."**

"Who… are you?" asked Ruby in the same distant tone.

 **"My name… is Hela,"** said the Ruby as she held her hand over Ruby's face, causing the young girl to pass out.

 **(Early the Next Morning)**

Ruby opened her eyes tiredly as she sat up and looked out her window, seeing the sun's rays peeking out from the treetops. Trudging to her door, she opened it to hear voices coming from downstairs.

"…wondering about Ruby," said the voice of Sasuke from the kitchen.

"She's been rather distant and a bit nihilistic as well," said Taiyang, "I've tried practically everything to get her to snap out of this slump she's in but nothing seems to be working."

"Well, apparently something worked because she's listening in on us right now," said Sasuke and Ruby froze.

She swallowed the lump in her throat then walked slowly into the kitchen.

"How are you feeling?" asked Taiyang as he went over to his daughter.

Ruby paid him no attention as she met Sasuke's gaze. The girl's gaze then moved to Sasuke's sword, which was leaning against the table and time seemed to grind to a halt for her. Ruby's entire body shook in fear as Taiyang held her arms.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"I better go," said Sasuke as he stood up and collected his sword, "Naruto is expecting me back at Beacon within the next couple of hours."

Walking by Ruby, Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It was good seeing you again, Ruby," said Sasuke before he left.

Once he was gone, Ruby slowly took a seat at the table with Taiyang supporting her then getting her something to eat.

"Dad…" said Ruby quietly, "What is the Black Fang?"

Taiyang stopped what he was doing to look back at Ruby with an eyebrow cocked.

"Why do you want to know about that?" he asked and getting silence in response.

Sighing, he took a seat across the table from Ruby.

"Five years ago, a group of creatures called Nephilim attacked Haven Academy under the orders of Sienna Khan of the White Fang," explained Taiyang, "They called themselves the Black Fang and soon began causing chaos across Remnant through various means. Murder, Espionage, Arson, Larceny, Kidnapping, Extortion, Blackmail. These are all the crimes committed by the Black Fang," pausing, Taiyang sat back in his chair, "But they all perished four years ago in Atlas when the building they were in collapsed in on them."

"Was there… one named Taka?" asked Ruby in the same quiet tone.

"Well, there have been rumors and sightings of two others that are rumored to have been members," said Taiyang, "The names they were given were Hela the Twilight and Taka the Vengeance."

"And…" began Ruby, "What happened to them?"

"With Hela, nobody knows," relayed Taiyang, "She vanished one day and was never seen again. Taka, however, became a mercenary but the number of people that know how to contact him, you can count on one hand."

Ruby lowered her head and went silent again before Taiyang stood up about a minute of said silence.

"Well, we should probably get some breakfast," said Taiyang as he went to the fridge to peer inside, "You want chocolate chip pancakes?"

Hearing a door close, he looked at the table to find Ruby was gone. Running to the front door, he saw that Crescent Rose, which should've been leaning against the wall, was also gone while Ruby's red cape remained.

* * *

Ruby, wearing a white cloak with the hood up, paid for a ticket then got on an airship to Beacon and took a seat in the back. Sure enough, she saw Sasuke climb aboard shortly after and sit next to her. Ruby did her best to keep her identity hidden as the ship took off but failed as Sasuke sat back into the seat.

"Does anyone else know?" he questioned without looking at Ruby.

"Know what?" asked Ruby back quietly, faking ignorance.

"So, nobody else," said Sasuke satisfyingly, "Good. Close to the vest. I admire that," he then grabbed a hold of Ruby's wrist with his right hand and squeezed a little too tight for Ruby's comfort, "Naruto sees something in you so I'm going to give you one chance. Once we land, you go to your friends. Forget any of this happened and don't you ever interfere in my business. If you do, well, you saw just how close I got to your father. It would be a shame if something were to happen to him and your sister."

Looking up at Sasuke, Ruby saw him glaring at her out of the corner of his now red eye with three commas inside of it. He then got up and moved to a different seat while Ruby was left in a panic and hyperventilating from the relief of pressure on her back.


	13. Chapter 13

Ruby followed the crowd out of the airship that landed at Beacon but couldn't see Sasuke anywhere. Checking her scroll, she saw it was almost time for the students to head for breakfast. Hurrying on her way, Ruby hid behind a corner on the way to the Dining Hall. She held her hand to stop it from shaking as she waited in the shadows. Sasuke's warning rang in her ears while she struggled to remain calm, the nerves causing her to nearly have a panic attack. Just as she was about to start panicking, she heard a familiar yawn and held her breath as Blake walked by, surprising the girl. She started to fall but Naruto appeared to catch her. Helping her up, Blake smiled at Naruto before giving him a kiss on the check. Naruto chuckled at this then the pair continued on to the dining hall. Ruby tried to force her sadness down deep into her being as she attempted to forget the image when Yuna walked by. Grabbing Yuna's wrist Ruby pulled her away from her path to the dining hall before stopping at the other end of the building.

"What the hell?" asked Yuna before she saw who it was that had grabbed her, "Ruby?"

"Hey," said Ruby timidly as she looked around.

"Uh, I don't think you're supposed to be here," advised Yuna as she looked around to make sure they were alone.

"I just came to ask you a question," explained Ruby as she also looked around, "Have you ever actually seen the members of the Black Fang?"

"More than I care to but yeah," remarked Yuna with a sigh, "What of it?"

"Can Hela be trusted?" asked Ruby and surprising Yuna.

"What?" asked Yuna in concern, "You saw Hela? When?"

"Last night, I think," said Ruby, unsure of her answer.

"This is just great," said Yuna in dismay before locking eyes with Ruby, "What did she say?"

"She said that Taka was looking for something called the Relic of Choice," relayed Ruby.

"That's insane," argued Yuna, "He knows where it is and the only reason he wouldn't have it right now is if…"

Yuna quickly grew pale as Ruby grew concerned.

"I've gotta go," said Yuna as she ran as fast as she could back the way Ruby dragged her from.

When she passed by the dark space between buildings where Ruby was, she was running with Naruto, Hana, and Tamao toward Ozpin's office. Finding this odd but shaking it off, Ruby quickly moved through Beacon in search of Sasuke. As she was searching, however, she saw a familiar face with orange hair walking around.

"Penny?!" exclaimed Ruby in surprise.

The girl in question turned around and was surprised by the sight of her fellow female jogging over to her.

"What are you doing here?" asked Ruby, "No one has seen you since the night at the docks."

"S-Sorry," said Penny nervously as she turned to leave, "I think you're confused."

Ruby grabbed Penny's wrist and green eyes met concerned silver ones.

"Look, I don't know what's going on," said Ruby, her voice laced with concern, "But something bad is going to happen and it might be connected to what happened at the docks. Please, as a friend, just tell me what happened to you."

Sighing in defeat, Penny timidly looked around before coming close to Ruby.

"It isn't safe to talk here," whispered Penny.

* * *

"Are you certain it's gone?" asked Ozpin seriously.

 **"No doubt about it,"** said Neko in the same tone, **"We went to the vault as soon as I found out. Taka's essence was there but it never went beyond the vault door."**

"Could Salem's people have gotten to it?" questioned Ironwood.

 **"No,"** said Ghoul, **"My Shikigami have been watching them since they arrived. They don't even know where the entrance is."**

"And just how did you come by this information?" questioned Goodwitch.

 **"I got the information from Ruby,"** reported Neko, **"She said that Hela had told her that Taka was after it."**

 **"Impossible,"** said Kronos from the back of the room, **"I erased her memories and sealed her powers away."**

"What was that spell you used?" questioned Ozpin.

Kronos remained silent before he slammed his fist against the wall then left the room. As the elevator descended, Kronos' coat and mask burst into a black mist that left an angry Naruto, who stepped out of the elevator. Shoving students out of his way as he walked through the halls and into the dorms, Naruto banged on Team JNPR's door.

 _"PYRRHA!"_ yelled Naruto in his thoughts as he continued to bang on the door, _"OPEN UP!"_

Pyrrha nervously chuckled as she slowly opened the door with smile.

"Hey, Naruto," said Pyrrha nervously, "How about we step outside?"

Stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her, the pair turned into a fast moving black mist that went up to the roof and reformed each of them. Naruto held his hand to his throat and cleared it.

"Why didn't you tell me you still had your memories?" questioned Naruto seriously, "Do you realize how much danger you just put yourself in?"

"I didn't tell you for your sake," said Pyrrha, "I don't want you to give up your life force for me."

"Well, now we have to deal with Sasuke going rogue," said Naruto as he threw his hands into the air, "Do you know where he is?"

"I do," said Pyrrha with a nod, "But it's not your duty to stop him."

"Huh?" questioned Naruto as he approached Pyrrha, "What are you talking about?"

"The Gate of Trial," said Pyrrha, "More specifically, Ruby's Gate of Trial."

"Are you fucking insane?!" yelled Naruto, "He's a Nephilim and she's an Archdemon! He's going to kill her!"

"She needs this Naruto," said Pyrrha seriously, "You didn't see her last night. This task gives her a chance to open her Gate of Trial. And why are you so concerned with her? I thought you said you weren't going to let family get in the way of stopping Salem."

Naruto groaned in anger as he palmed his face.

"If she dies, this is all on you," said Naruto as sighed in defeat, "Now, my mission goes from protecting the Relic of Choice to finding out where the fuck it went!"

He stormed downstairs and Pyrrha seemed to regret have told Naruto all this.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Ruby," apologized Penny as the two walked through the streets of Vale City, "But I don't know who those men were and I've never heard of Taka."

"Well, what happened to you that night?" asked Ruby, "We were all together then you just disappeared. Were you kidnapped?"

"Oh, no," denied Penny quickly, "Nothing like that."

"Well, then where did you go?" asked Ruby.

"I've never been to another country before," said Penny depressingly, "My father asked me not to venture out too far but… You have to understand, my father loves me very much. He just worries a lot."

"I know the feeling," said Ruby in slight embarrassment, "But why not let us know you were okay?"

"I was told not to talk to any of you," replied Penny sadly.

"Was it your father who said that?" asked Ruby as she tilted her head.

"No," denied Penny nervously, "It wasn't my father."

They then heard the sound of a holographic recording of a presentation from General Ironwood and looked around the corner. The recording was presenting the new Atlesian Knight model of robotic soldiers. Ruby looked over at Penny and noticed she was uncomfortable watching this. The hologram then cut to an image of an Atlesian Paladin, which made Ruby hold her scythe a little tighter.

"Ruby, maybe we should go somewhere else," suggested Penny when two Atlesian soldiers spotted her.

Turning around, Penny made a break for an alley with Ruby only a few feet behind her and the Atlesian soldiers on their tail. They took another right and ran through a busy street before Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose to knock over a stand in the ally holding a dozen large boxes. Seeing Penny a little ahead of her, Ruby ran along the wall before using her semblance to bounce off to the wall next to Penny.

"This way," said Ruby as she wrapped her arms of the girl.

Grunting a little at how heavy Penny was, Ruby managed to push off the wall with her semblance and the pair shot down the alley. However, the weight finally caught up to Ruby and they fell to the ground with Ruby rolling out of the alley and into the street. Picking herself off the ground, Ruby turned around just in time to see a truck barreling right for her. Penny, appearing out of nowhere, shoved Ruby out of the way and stopped the truck with her bare hands, surprising everyone that watched.

"Penny?" asked Ruby in concern.

"Are you okay?" asked Penny of the old man driving the truck and getting a nod back.

As a crowd began to gather, they started talking and Penny shoved Ruby aside to continue running down an alley.

"Penny, come back!" called Ruby to her friend.

Once they were away from the scene, Ruby approached the frantic Penny that seemed to be trying to find a place to hide.

"Penny, please," said Ruby, causing Penny to turn around, "What is going on? Why are you running? How did you do that?"

"I-I can't," said Penny, "Everything's fine," she then wrapped her arms around herself, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Penny, if you can just tell me what's wrong, I can help you," said Ruby worriedly.

"No," said Penny as she shook her head and turned away, "You wouldn't understand."

"Let me try," said Ruby empathically, "I have a brother that's a Nephilim so it couldn't be any worse than that. You can trust me."

"You're my friend, right?" asked Penny urgently as she went right up to Ruby with her hands clenched, "You promise you're my friend?"

"Yes," affirmed Ruby.

"Ruby, I'm not… a real girl," said Penny as she showed Ruby her palms, revealing their metallic nature under the false skin.

 **(That Night)**

After having finished up with Penny and talking to several dozen people, Ruby had finally located Sasuke. Landing as gently as she could on the roof of one of the warehouses by the docks, Ruby dropped down through a skylight and walked through the large building. Walking over to a table, Ruby examined the countless documents that were scattered across it as well as the large number of computers against the wall. Some were written in a language she couldn't understand but others were in a form of an old Faunus language she had studied at Signal.

"Salem," muttered Ruby as she read the material, "The Four Seasonal Maidens. The Four Relics of Creation. Eternal darkness."

Looking to her left, she saw Sasuke's falcon sleeping on a perch before a light from a hallway caught her eye. Silently walking, Ruby went down the hallway and saw someone working at a table at the opposite end of the large room.

"Hey!" she called out to Sasuke as she walked forward.

"You're good," said Sasuke as he didn't even bother to look at her as he continued with his task, "I didn't even hear you come in."

"It's over," said Ruby, "I've got you!"

"I've gotta tell you, Ruby," said Sasuke as he finally turned around to face her while leaning against the table, "I see why Naruto likes you. Which I first heard about you, I wasn't sure you'd be anything special. But I get it now."

"How could you do this to him?" questioned Ruby as she stopped several yards away, "I thought you were his best friend."

"I am," assured Sasuke, "And I'm not doing this to him. I'm doing this for him. You saw the research I've been doing."

Faster than Sasuke could blink, Ruby fired an Ice Dust bullet from Crescent Rose at his only hand, encasing it and the portion of the table it was on in ice.

"I don't expect an inferior being like you to understand what's going on," said Sasuke, "But you don't understand how things work."

"I understand enough not to abandon my friends!" retorted Ruby.

"And that's the problem," said Sasuke, "You're so focused on your friends that you've overlooked how much of a burden they can be. You're mother understood that."

"Don't you talk about my mom!" shouted Ruby angrily.

"Who do you think it was that broke up Team STRQ in the first place?" asked Sasuke, "Summer saw that sometimes, it's best to leave your team behind but you still haven't grasped that concept. You can't always be a team. There will eventually be a day when you all will be apart and have to fend for yourselves."

"Why are you telling me all this?" questioned Ruby.

"Three things," said Sasuke as he broke his hand free of the ice effortlessly, "First, I want you to understand. Second, for that Atlesian ship carrying a bunch of those Paladins in to be close enough for me to fly in and reprogram all the machines aboard. And third, I needed to give my friend a little time to rest up."

Sasuke's falcon, now the size of a large dog, broke through the wall behind Ruby, causing the girl to backflip over the incoming avian. The bird kept swooping in and around Ruby, who dodged each attempt to attack her while several of the columns holding the building up were broken. After about ten seconds, Sasuke smirked.

"Sorry, Ruby," apologized Sasuke.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Ruby as she skidded back to avoid the falcon, "That bird didn't even hit me."

"True," conceded Sasuke, 'But then again, he wasn't really trying to."

By the time Ruby realized what Sasuke was planning, it was too late. The moment she looked up, the ceiling caved in on her as Sasuke's falcon left through a hole that was created while Sasuke walked out of the warehouse. Looking off into the distance, Sasuke could see a large airship approaching with his Hawk Faunus eyes.

"Jouketsu," he said as his falcon swooped, turning into a cloud of black mist.

Once engulfed by the black mist, Taka dispersed the mist with a sweep of his talon then flew up into the sky.

* * *

Ruby grunted loudly in pain as her entire body, save for one arm and everything from her ribs up was being crushed by several hundred pounds of stone and metal. Blood trickled down her face and through her hair as she whimpered while trying to reach for Crescent Rose, which was unharmed but well out of her reach. When she couldn't reach it, Ruby began whimpering and began having a panic attack. Trying to push herself up, Ruby found that she was pinned completely.

"Help!" she screamed as loud as she could, "I'm in here! Please! Help me! I can't move!"

Just as her adrenalin began to fade, Ruby looked at the one thing she had let Naruto customize on Crescent Rose. It was little, horrible picture of him grinning at her.

 _"There may come a day when you have to face a trial on your own without anyone to help you,"_ echoed Naruto's voice in Ruby's mind as she thought about that night, _"If you want to succeed, you need to never give up. You have to continue fighting to protect those that you love."_

Ruby slowly but surely regained her breath as a black mist that was glowing red appeared around her. Thinking of her team, her family, and her friends, Ruby roared as she pushed herself slowly to her feet while the mist converged on her face then solidified into a Grimm mask. Shakily, she pushed the rubble that had been on her aside before panting and trying to process what was going on.

 **"What is this?"** asked Ruby in a distorted voice was she looked at her arms, which she could see perfectly in the dark as if it was daylight out.

She heard the sound of Blake and Yuna's friend Sun yelling in the distance with the sound of robotics right behind him and another pair of footsteps nearby. Grabbing Crescent Rose, Ruby ran off toward the danger a little faster than she thought she would. Seeing a wall appear in front of her, Ruby braced herself for the impact but it never came. Moving her arms, she ran through another wall and shook off her surprise as she sound of an Atlesian Paladin got louder. She stopped under a freeway just as the Paladin fell down from it and drew Crescent Rose as the rest of her old team dropped down with Blake wearing a mask similar to Ruby's.

"What are you doing here?" questioned Yang as they all got ready to fight.

 **"Talk later,"** said Ruby seriously, **"Freezer Burn!"**

Ruby and Blake jumped back as Yang jumped into the air while Weiss dawned a mask via a blue glowing black mist and froze the very ground she stood on. A yellow glowing black mist formed a mask on Yang's face as she pulled her fist back then brought it down on the air, creating a thick white mist that obscured the mech's vision. The four girls moved swiftly through the mist as the mech shot at where its sensors had picked them up, only to miss.

 **"Checkmate!"** called Ruby after jumping away from a strike at the cockpit.

Weiss and Blake moved up, hacking and slashing at the mech's legs before Weiss jumped up then stabbed Myrtenaster into one of the turrets under the cockpit, rendering the weapon ineffective. The mech stepped forward and the two girls jumped away before it fired off several missiles at them. In a flash, Blake sliced each of the missiles in two with the pieces exploding behind her.

 **"Ladybug!"** called Ruby as she ran by Blake.

Letting off a shot, Ruby was propelled through the mech's legs while landing a strike before doing the same thing again while trading places with Black, who was also attacking. The mech fired a laser at them but both vanished before it hit. Looking up, Ruby and Blake sliced off the mech's left arm cleanly when Yang jumped on its back. The blond gave the cockpit a furious barrage of punches before the mech jumped back through several columns until Yang was pinned against the fourth one. Stepping away, the mech punched Yang through a column as she fell, sending her rolling on the ground.

 **"Yang!"** called out the worried Blake.

 **"It's fine,"** assured Ruby, **"With each hit, she can send it back with twice what hit her."**

The mech attempted to punch Yang again as she got up but the girl casually caught it.

 **"Let's have some fun,"** said Yang before punching the mechanical arm with her free hand, causing it to shatter.

The mech then proceed to kick Yang away and between Ruby and Blake.

 **"Bumblebee!"** called Ruby.

Blake through her sword at Yang, who caught it as Blake began swinging her around with Yang adding some momentum with her Ember Celica.

 **"We have to slow it down,"** said Ruby as Weiss landed next to her while the mech was dodging Yang.

 **"And how do you propose to do that?"** questioned Weiss.

 **"Ice Flower!"** called Ruby as she stuck the tip of Crescent Rose into the ground before getting on one knee.

Weiss created a glyph over the front of the barrel and Ruby fired. The empowered Ice Dust bullet struck the mech, freezing it in place just as Yang came swinging in to shattered the entire thing after knocking it to the ground. Torchwick crawled out and stood up.

"And I just got this thing dry cleaned," he said as he looked up at Team RWBY.

Yang sent a round at him but the blast was blocked by the umbrella of a pale heterochromatic girl with pink and brown hair.

"Ladies," said Torchwick condescendingly, "Ice Queen."

 **"Hey!"** called out Weiss in annoyance.

"Neo, if you would," said Torchwick as Neo took a bow.

Yang ran forward and punched Neo but she and Torchwick shattered like glass. The sound of an airship reached their ears and the four girls looked to see Torchwich and Neo in the doorway of the airship as it left the area. Ruby then quickly grabbed Weiss's arm, causing the heiress to look at her.

 **"Which way direction the ships from Atlas normally come from?"** questioned Ruby.

 **"Huh?"** asked Weiss, not having prepared for the question.

 **"Weiss, I need to know, which direction they come from,"** said Ruby a little more urgently.

 **"Uh, that way,"** said Weiss as she pointed over her left shoulder.

 **"We'll catch up later!"** called back Ruby as she ran off in the direction Weiss had directed her in.

"What was that about?" asked Blake as the trio removed their masks.

"I don't know," said Yang in concern, "But it must be something huge or Ruby wouldn't seem that worried."

 _ **(Five Minutes Later**_

Taka watched as his virus was downloaded into each of the robots and mechs on the airship, which was in auto-pilot as the pilots were dead, when an alarm went off. Going over to a monitor, he saw Ruby, wearing her mask, shooting out the engines from atop the airship.

 **"How did she get…?"** began Taka before he growled angrily and headed for a door.

* * *

Ruby prepared to fire one final shot from Crescent Rose when it was knocked out of her hands by a sword and fell toward the ground. Ruby looked just as Taka's wing knocked her off her feet but she managed to hold on by crushing purple Dust crystal that magnetized her hands temporarily so she could hold onto the airship. Taka lunged forward with his wings toward Ruby, attempting to cut her arm off as the feathers tore through the metal of the plane. Ruby kept letting go and reattaching quickly to avoid the wings before Taka lunged on last time, causing her to let go and barely hold onto the tail of the airship. However, Taka's wing got stuck in the roof of the airship as both engines final exploded and the airship went crashing to the ground. Ruby struggled to hold on before looking at Taka, who smiled at her.

 **"You pass,"** he said before turning into a black mist that flew off into the night sky.

* * *

Ozpin, Goodwitch, Ironwood, a regiment of Atlesian Soldiers, and several Atlesian Knights hurried to the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest as the airship made touchdown and exploded. The humans shielded themselves from the blast before hurrying down to the flaming wreckage. As they surveyed the damage to look for survivors, Ironwood caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye.

"Over here!" he called out and hurried over with Ozpin and the others to the downed girl wearing a tattered and torn white cloak.

The girl groaned in pain as she slowly and shakily pushed herself to her feet. The girl raised her head to show her beaten, bruised, and bleeding face to Ozpin.

"Hey… professor," said Ruby tiredly as she gave him a weak smile, "I… stopped… him."

To Ruby, everything started spinning before it all went dark.

 **(The Following Day)**

Groaning, Ruby woke but kept her eyes closed as she had no strength to open them.

 _"That was very dangerous what you did,"_ thought Naruto seriously as he sat by Ruby's bed.

 _"What happened?"_ asked Ruby, _"What happened? Where's Taka?"_

 _"Sasuke isn't one to just let himself get taken easily,"_ thought Naruto, _"He'll probably go underground for a while to let things cool down before returning."_

 _"Where am I?"_ asked Ruby.

 _"Currently, you're in the infirmary of Beacon Academy,"_ explained Naruto, _"Ozpin and the other teachers found you in the wreckage of that airship. They just left a minute ago before you woke up."_

 _"And… what did they say?"_ wondered Ruby curiously.

 _"First, they found it astounding that your physical wounds are almost healed,"_ thought Naruto with a coy tone in his thoughts, _"Ozpin also said he's looking forward to seeing you back in class when you're ready."_

 _"Huh?"_ thought Ruby.

 _"Ozpin revoked your expulsion,"_ explained Naruto, _"You're back to being the leader of Team RWBY."_

At those words, Ruby silently cried tears of joy. Naruto decided to let her rest and headed out of the infirmary and closed the door before everything seemed to lose some of its color.

"That was very dangerous of you to do to her, Sasuke," said Naruto after he cleared his throat.

"A Gate of Trial can only be opened when one accepts the one thing they refuse to believe," said Sasuke as he stepped out of the shadows, "Weiss was her thinking that she can control everything in her life. Blake's was that all Faunus are above flaws. Yang's was her unconsciously lowering her power because she was afraid of killing someone. Ruby's, meanwhile, was her inability to accept the fact that one day, they are going to be alone and without the help of their team."

"Still you came close to killing innocent people," argued Naruto before the pair chuckled.

"Even after all these lifetimes, we still argue about methods and ideals," said Sasuke.

"I know, right?" asked Naruto with a smirk, "Now, you should get back to Menagerie. Kali and Ghira must have their hands full with Summer running around."

"Alright," said Sasuke as he went to the end of the hall and opened a window before pausing, "By the way, you know what has to happen for our plan to succeed, right?"

"I do," replied Naruto in monotone, "Disce quasi semper victurus vive quasi cras moriturus."

"And to you as well," said Sasuke as he started to turn into a black mist, "Farewell for now, brother."

The mist flew out the window as color returned to the world. A pair of arms wrapped around Naruto's shoulders.

"Hey, you," said Blake playfully.

 _"Hey,"_ replied Naruto as he gave the girl a kiss on the cheek, _"Ruby is just resting right now. She'll probably be back to full strength by tomorrow."_

"That's good," said Blake as she let go of her boyfriend, "Is it okay to go see her?"

 _"Just don't be too loud that you wake her up,"_ added Naruto before Blake went inside.

Once Blake entered the room, Naruto's expression turned to regret and remorse before turning and coming face to face with Ozpin.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that," said Ozpin teasingly while Naruto glared at him.

 _"Shut up,"_ thought Naruto as he bumped into Ozpin as he headed back to his room.

"There are two matters I need to discuss with you," said Ozpin, causing Naruto to stop, "First, Glynda, the General, and I have talked and we're not going to…"

Naruto held up his hand to silence Ozpin before everything was drained of its color.

 _"You were saying,"_ thought Naruto.

"We've decided to prevent Team RWBY from competing in the Vytal Festival," finished Ozpin.

 _"Good,"_ thought Naruto, _"It would be trouble if one of them went on a Purge during the festival. What's the second thing?"_

"Where did you put the Relic of Choice?" questioned Ozpin, causing Naruto's eyes turned into those of a Grimm.

* * *

 **Can I get some more reviews?**


	14. Chapter 14

Ruby sat uncomfortably next to Naruto, who had Blake resting her head on his shoulder, as they all watched Pyrrha take on Team CRDL single handedly. Noticing this, Naruto moved his free hand onto Ruby's and held it.

 _"I'm sorry if seeing us together makes you uncomfortable,"_ apologized Naruto.

 _"It's fine,"_ thought Ruby, _"So… when did you guys start dating?"_

 _"Well, as I was healing Blake, we talked and I took her out for coffee,"_ explained Naruto, _"We really hit it off and have been together ever since. I also have to give her follow up treatment and help her around in case she isn't able to walk. Hence, one of the reasons your team can't compete in the Vytal Festival."_

"Yeah, that sucks," said Ruby with a depressing sigh.

"Mr. Branwen," said Goodwitch after Pyrrha had finished her fight, catching the attention of the trio, "You've been rather quiet the past couple of classes. Why don't you…"

"I'll do it," said Mercury as he raised his hand.

Naruto raised an eyebrow before he grunted in pain and held his hand.

"You okay?" asked Blake as she looked up at Naruto.

"Yeah," said Naruto as he stood up, "I just need to get some fresh air."

Walking out of the amphitheater, Naruto passed by the concerned members of the rest of his team that were sitting in the back, before leaning against a wall for support. His left eye turned into that of a Grimm's and he smiled.

 **"Looks like I managed to get a little traction,"** said Kronos as he began walking away.

From the shadows, Sasuke watched as Kronos walked about before following from the darkness.

 **(Several Minutes Later)**

Everyone filed out of the amphitheater and saw a huge amount of the Atlesian soldiers and all of the students that were there visiting from Vacuo running around.

"What's going on?" asked Yang curiously.

"Didn't you hear?" asked Sun as he walked up to the group, "The Prime Minister of Vacuo is coming."

"Prime Minister?" asked Weiss as she turned to Sun, "I thought Vacuo had a council like the rest of the countries."

"They did until about a month before the school year started," said Hana as she and Team NYHT came outside, "The King and Prime Minister united the tribes of Vacuo and overthrew the council with the backing of Shade Academy."

"It's been awhile since I've heard Gaara's voice," said Tamao as she turned slightly pink, "I wonder how he's doing?"

"Wait," said Ruby as she went up to Team NYHT, "You guys know the Prime Minister of Vacuo?!"

"Yeah," said Yuna as she folded her arms, "He's an old friend of ours and Pyrrha's."

"Pyrrha knows the Prime Minster of Vacuo?!" exclaimed Team RWBY and Sun as Pyrrha approached.

"What's going on?" she asked as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

"We told them you know the Prime Minister of Vacuo," said Tamao.

"I do?" asked Pyrrha like she didn't understand.

"Gaara," added Hana.

"Oh," said Pyrrha as she realized this, "I met him once. Before he was Prime Minister obviously."

The students from Vacuo began running toward the landing platform as did the Atlesian soldiers.

"Guess he's here," said Hana, "You all want to meet him?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Ruby, "It's the next best thing to meeting a prince or a king."

Pyrrha smirked but grabbed Tamao by the sleeve to keep her back while the others went on ahead.

"Since when is Gaara the prime minister of a country," she asked seriously.

"Since the commander became the king of a country," stated Tamao calmly.

"Are you kidding me?" questioned Pyrrha angrily in a hushed tone, "You guys slaughtered the entire Vacuo Council?"

"No," said Tamao as she recalled that day, "We just surrounded their building and forced them to hand over power. I can assure you it was a bloodless coup."

"What else is going on in Vacuo that the world doesn't know about?" questioned Pyrrha as they started walking.

"You'd have to ask Naruto or Gaara," said Tamao as they headed toward the landing platform together, "Gaara wasn't even supposed to be here."

* * *

All the students from Vacuo stood at attention while the Atlesian soldiers stood on guard as an airship landed at the end of the landing platform. The walkway lowered and several people in suits exited followed by a boy of about 17 years of age with red hair and large dark circles around his eyes wearing a crimson long-sleeve shirt with matching pants and a small gourd attached to his left hip. Ozpin, Goodwitch, and General Ironwood walked toward Gaara and they stopped a few steps from one another.

"Prime Minister, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," said Ozpin with a smile.

"The pleasure is all mine," said Gaara in monotone as he looked at the surrounding students, "You're all dismissed."

The students bowed then headed off.

"The students of Shade Academy certainly have a lot of respect for you," remarked General Ironwood.

"They are just showing respect to one of the people that united their homeland," said Gaara before looking back at Ozpin, "There is a matter I'd like to discuss with you in your office."

Ozpin and Goodwitch stepped aside and Gaara walked with them toward Ozpin's office. However, they stopped when ¾ of Team NYHT, all of Team RWBY, Sun, and Pyrrha got in their path.

"It's been awhile, you four," said Gaara in the same monotone as the members of Team NYHT approached.

"It really has," said Yuna with a smile as she and her teammates took turns giving hugs to Gaara.

"Hey, Gaara," said Tamao timidly with red cheeks.

"Hey," said Gaara as he ruffled Tamao's hair with a smile before looking at Team RWBY, Sun, and Pyrrha.

Pyrrha and Gaara locked eyes and everyone could feel the tension between them.

"Hello, Prime Minister," said Weiss as she stepped forward and curtsied, "I'm Weiss…"

"Schnee," said Gaara in monotone, "Your sister killed Naruto's father."

Weiss froze before quickly retreating in embarrassment.

"Blake Belladona, who Naruto says is into some kinky things," said Gaara as he looked over the other members of Team RWBY while Blake a shade of red nobody thought could happen, "And Naruto's sisters. Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose."

"That's us," said Yang cheerfully.

Ruby remained silent as she stared at Gaara in disbelief.

"Nephilim…" she muttered extremely quietly.

Gaara narrowed his eyes then continued on his way with Ozpin and his group, not even bothering to acknowledge Sun.

"By the way, Miss Rose, I hear you used to sing," said Gaara as he stopped for a moment, "I look forward to hearing you during the dance in two days."

"Huh?" asked Ruby as Gaara left, "But I haven't sung in years."

"I'll help!" exclaimed Weiss as she dragged Ruby along.

"What do you and Naruto do when you're alone?" asked Yang of Blake as she, Pyrrha, and Sun turned toward the cat Faunus.

 **(Ten Minutes Later)**

"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Ozpin as he took a seat behind his desk with Ironwood and Goodwitch on either side as Gaara sat on a chair made of sand.

"The fact that you've been allowing Kronos to move about unchecked," said Gaara.

"How do you know…" questioned Ironwood.

"I hired Taka to keep an eye on him," stated Gaara, "Did you know that he's been taking control of his host periodically since Miss Rose returned to being a student?"

"Are you serious?" questioned Goodwitch.

"Kronos has always been… different among Nephilim," stated Gaara, "His ability to control the flow of time has made him dangerous over his various appearances throughout history."

"Just who is Kronos?" asked Ironwood.

 **"Kronos is the one Saint Noctus fought and that forced the moon into that state,"** said Taka as he appeared against the wall, **"When Salem first created Nephilim, she warped the body and mind of a young Faunus woman whose family had been wiped out by humans while she was on the verge of death herself. The woman, in her final moments asked anyone to help her live as long as she could get her revenge."**

"And that girl became the first Kronos," said Ozpin.

"Exactly," said Gaara, "During the process, Salem had turned the entire dying population of that woman's village into Nephilim but a small child, barely having reached the age of seven, managed to resist Salem's influence and later became known as Saint Noctus, the Emperor of the Grand Pantheon."

"But how does this relate to Kronos taking over his host?" questioned Ironwood.

 **"During the final battle that destroyed the moon, Noctus cursed himself and Kronos to an endless cycle of transmigrating with the last Kronos ending up being sealed beneath the ice of Atlas 1,000 years ago,"** stated Taka, **"He was never meant to freed but the Schnee Dust Company, their minds overtaken by greed, began mining over Kronos' tomb and he entered Naruto's body."**

"Those with silver eyes like Miss Rose and her mother are able to suppress Nephilim which is why Kronos hasn't taken over his host's body yet due to him having one of their eyes transplanted into him," added Gaara, "However, Kronos is clever and has been slowly carving a path to free himself. That's been what's causing the host's headaches over the past couple of days."

"Then we should quarantine him," said Goodwitch.

"That won't do any good," said Gaara, "With him have hidden the Relic of Choice as well as the ability to freeze us in time, only the Artifact and Saint Noctus would be able to confront him."

"Then the only choice we have is the Artifact," said Ironwood.

"Absolutely not," said Ozpin, "The Artifact is immature at this point and can easily be swayed."

"Then that leaves us with finding Saint Noctus," said Goodwitch as she looked at Taka, "Have you found him yet?"

 **"I have a hunch,"** said Taka, **"But other than that, the only person who could possibly control him to some extent is Hela."**

"Which would mean Miss Nikos would have to get close to the host," said Ozpin.

* * *

"Can we stop?" asked Ruby in dismay as she massaged her aching throat.

"We've only been going for a few minutes," said Weiss demandingly, "If you want to impress the Prime Minister, you're going to need to work on your vocal pitch. Again."

Taking a drink of water, Ruby began going through the vocal exercises Weiss had given her. However, when she got louder, her voice cracked and Weiss covered her ears.

"No!" exclaimed Weiss in anger, causing Ruby to flinch, "That was all wrong!"

Taking a deep breath, Weiss sat down in in dismay on a bench as Ruby sat next to her.

"Maybe we're going about this all wrong," suggested Weiss as she looked at Ruby, "What made you want to sing when you were younger?"

Ruby looked at the ground and fidgeted with her hands.

"There was… a boy," said Ruby as she struggled to remember, "I think. I went to an opera once and was amazed by their singing so I asked my dad if I could have lessons. I was getting frustrated that I was having trouble hitting high notes and almost quit when this… I guess you could call him an angel, encouraged me to keep going."

"An angel?" asked Weiss curiously, "And then what happened?"

"I had a recital but someone fell from the rafters and I haven't sung since then," said Ruby nervously, "Every time I try, I just keep picturing that moment."

Ruby stood up and ran away with Weiss's shouts falling on deaf ears. From around the corner, Naruto, or rather, Kronos heard the entire conversation. Holding up his hand, a black mist formed his mask and he stared at it.

 **(The Following Day)**

"So, what do you think Naruto's going to wear to the dance?" asked Yang as Team RWBY and ¾ of Team NYHT set up for the dance that night.

"Now that I think of it, I've never seen Gin in a tux," said Hana as she hung up one end of a streamer before looking at Yuna, "You ever seen him in one?"

"Nope," said Yuna, having caught sight of Hana talking out of the corner of her eye, "Gin never was one for putting on fancy clothes during events."

"I've honestly never seen him in one either," said Tamao jokingly as she taste tested the food.

 **(Several Minutes Later)**

"Are you sure?" asked Pyrrha of Sasuke and Gaara after Pyrrha had managed to give her team the slip.

"You're the only that may be able to get through to Kronos," said Sasuke, "We can't risk Summer's safety and until we confirm Noctus' identity, you're our only choice."

"But what about Blake?" suggested Pyrrha, "Or Yang? Or Ruby?"

"While those are valid choices, you are the only one to have gotten this far into a relationship with Kronos since his transmigration cycle started," said Gaara, "Right now, Naruto is in control but should Kronos step in, you're going to have to step up."

Looking down at her hands emitting a black mist, Pyrrha closed her eyes.

"I took a big risk helping Ruby try to open her Gate of Trial," said Pyrrha while Sasuke's falcon landed on his shoulder, "I was lucky Salem wasn't paying attention at the moment but if I were to be in proximity of Kronos, she'd definitely know."

"That's a risk you'd going to need to take for not only your sake, but your family's and the world's," said Sasuke calmly.

Pyrrha closed her eyes and headed downstairs, deep in thought. Memories of happy times with Naruto flooded her mind as she was deeply conflicted when she passed a classroom with the door open a jar.

"What do you mean Naruto's not going?" asked Yang's voice.

Pyrrha doubled back and listed at the door.

"I asked him shortly after Ruby returned but he declined saying that he didn't deserve to go," explained Blake.

"What could he mean by that?" poised Yang.

"I have no idea," said Blake in a slightly hurt tone, "Maybe I did something wrong? Maybe he did something he knew I wouldn't like."

"It's not because of anything like that," said Pyrrha as she pushed the door open, "It because he's afraid."

"Afraid?" asked Yang as she and Blake looked at Pyrrha, 'Afraid of what?"

"Every person he's ever loved has either died or gotten hurt in a way," said Pyrrha in shame as she lowered her head, "His father. His old girlfriend. His… daughter."

"Daughter?!" exclaimed Yang and Blake.

"4 years ago, shortly before his girlfriend died, the pair had had a child because they were both stupid," explained Pyrrha as she looked away, "However, several days later, his girlfriend had died because of a mistake he made and left him and their child without her. He became so depressed that he left their daughter in the care of some friends then returned to his mother."

Yang clenched her hand at this before Pyrrha looked at Blake.

"Naruto is afraid of losing you like he lost them," said Pyrrha, "He believes that just like his uncle, he's bad luck and will hurt you in some way. He's lost so much that he cares about and doesn't want to lose any more of that. No one can even begin to imagine what Naruto's lost. No one will ever be able to feel the pain he felt. All we can do is try and give him comfort and as much love as we can."

With that, Pyrrha left the room while Blake and Yang were left thinking about what she had said.

 **(That Night)**

Naruto, wearing a suit, stood on a balcony near the dance hall but away from everyone while the moon shone down on him. Pyrrha came up behind him and leaned against the opposite end of the balcony but kept her eyes away from Naruto. Both stood in silence for a few minutes before Pyrrha decided to break the ice.

"You're not the only one to have gotten hurt by everything that's happened," said Pyrrha.

 _"I know,"_ thought Naruto with a sigh as he hung his head, _"Why did we have to end up like this? It just feels like I'm cursed because of Kronos and everything tied to him."_

"You're not cursed," said Pyrrha, "The rest of us are just unlucky."

 _"The only reason I haven't died yet is because is because I have to die at the hands of one specific person,"_ thought Naruto sadly, _"The one person who can end the transmigration of Kronos."_

"Saint Noctus," muttered Pyrrha.

 _"And Kronos knows who Saint Noctus' transmigrant is,"_ thought Naruto in dismay.

"He does?" questioned Pyrrha in surprise, "Who is it?"

 _"I can't say,"_ thought Naruto, _"He threatened to kill her if I say her name."_

"Is it Blake?" asked Pyrrha urgently.

Getting a shake of the head, Pyrrha let out a sigh of relief before she noticed Naruto holding a hand over his silver eye. It then dawned on Pyrrha who Naruto was referring to.

"Ruby?" questioned Pyrrha in disbelief.

 _"Kronos believes he can remove Noctus' spirit from her by getting her to fall in love with him,"_ thought Naruto, _"But doing so would kill her. I can't let that happen. But by having him fall in love with her will have one other side effect."_

"Ruby falling in love with you," said Pyrrha as she went up to Naruto, "But I thought she already confessed to you."

Everything seemed to lose color but them and space seemed to distort, sending them into the Emerald Forest. A large fire was going while Naruto stood over the sobbing Ruby with his old dust sword raised. Naruto yelled in anger and threw the sword away. Falling to his knees, Naruto held Ruby's head like he had done with Pyrrha's with his thumbs on her forehead. Ruby looked into Naruto's eyes and saw panic.

"Noctus, you need to listen to me," said Naruto urgently, "I'm going to erase Ruby's memories of this night. If Kronos comes for Ruby, you need to protect her. I'll establish a back door for you to take control for a short while in case that happens. Please, do everything in your power to protect her."

"Naruto, what are you…" began Ruby before she fell back, unconscious.

Everything returned to normal with Naruto and Pyrrha standing back on the balcony.

"You love Ruby as well, don't you?" suggested Pyrrha.

Naruto remained silent before heading down to the party with Pyrrha following right behind. Looking down from the balcony, they had both apparently just missed the other members of Team NYHT singing as the trio had left a small stage that had been set up. Ruby got up onto the stage at Weiss's urging with a handless microphone and looked out at the sea of students. Noticing something wrong, Naruto made his way down from the balcony and put on a microphone himself then joined Ruby on stage. Taking the surprised girl into a hug, Naruto closed his eyes then began singing.

 _No more talk of darkness  
Forget these wide-eyed fears  
I'm here, nothing can harm you  
My words will warm and calm you_

Pulling back, he stared into Ruby's eyes with his own sad and conflicted ones as he brushed her bangs aside.

 _Let me be your freedom  
Let daylight dry your tears  
I'm here, with you, beside you  
To guard you and to guide you_

Ruby continued to look into Naruto's eyes as she also began singing.

 _Say you'll love me every waking moment  
Turn my head with talk of summer time  
Say you need me with you now and always  
Promise me that all you say is true  
That's all I ask of you_

Naruto then took Ruby off the stage and began a slow dance with her while continuing.

 _Let me be your shelter  
Let me be your light  
You're safe, no one will find you  
Your fears are far behind you_

Ruby leaned into Naruto and continued.

 _All I want is freedom  
A world with no more night  
And you, always beside me  
To hold me and to hide me_

Naruto lowered his head lovingly and rested it on Ruby's.

 _Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime  
Let me lead you from your solitude  
Say you need me with you here, beside you  
Anywhere you go, let me go too  
That's all I ask of you_

Ruby looked up at Naruto and smiled happily.

 _Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime  
Say the word and I will follow you_

Naruto then joined Ruby.

 _Share each day with me, each night, each morning_

The duo then placed their foreheads against each other intimately and closed their eyes.

 _Say you love me_

 _You know I do_

 _Love me, that's all I ask of you._

The music picked up and everyone began cheering as Naruto hugged Ruby tightly and spun around with her. They then parted and stared lovingly into each other's eyes.

 _Anywhere you go, let me go too  
Love me, that's all I ask of you_

Everyone cheered and clapped as Ruby leaned in for a kiss but Naruto just ruffled her hair playfully then walked off.

"Naruto…" began Blake as she attempted to talk to her boyfriend.

 _"I'll talk to you in the morning, Blake,"_ thought Naruto as he left the room.

He walked back to his room and passed by a short girl in a Haven Academy uniform with brown hair and green eyes.

 _"I'm being watched,"_ thought Naruto as he projected his thoughts to the girl, _"Do your thing."_

The girl smiled as Naruto entered his room and got ready for bed.

 **(Half an Hour Later)**

"Anything?" asked Gaara as he conversed with Pyrrha and Sasuke casually next to an open window.

"Naruto confirmed Ruby is the transmigrant of Saint Noctus," explained Pyrrha without looking at either of them.

"Until Saint Noctus awakens, we can't do anything," said Sasuke when his falcon landed on the ledge next to them, "Naruto's going to bed right now."

"Then who is that?" questioned Gaara as Naruto walked in and up to Mercury and Cinder.

"Those are Salem's agents," said Sasuke quietly as Naruto danced with Cinder.

"Why is Naruto dancing with her?" questioned Pyrrha.

"I don't know," said Gaara before he looked off to the side, "Apparently, she just fought Ruby at the CCT Tower."

Ironwood and an ashamed Ruby walked in shortly after and Ruby sat down while Ironwood went to speak with Ozpin and Goodwitch. The power suddenly went out and everyone groaned in annoyance. A loud crash was heard before the lights came back on and Ironwood had been thrown through a table while a chandelier fell in the middle of the dance floor, freaking everyone out.

"General!" exclaimed the soldiers that had been guarding Penny as they rushed over to Ironwood.

 _ **Insolent man, this slave of power  
Basking in your glory.  
Ignorant fool, this brave soldier  
Sharing in my triumph**_

Recognizing the voice from long ago, Ruby timidly looked around. Something began appearing in the glass of the windows as the soldiers helped Ironwood up.

 _ **Flattering child, you shall know me.  
See why in shadows I hide.  
Look at your face in the window.  
I am there inside.**_

Ruby turned to the nearest window and saw Kronos with his coat and mask on staring back at her while countless others appeared in the other mirrors. All the students between Ruby and Kronos were pushed away to make a clear path for Ruby to walk to the window. Yang ran toward Ruby, who seemed to be in a trance, but hit and invisible wall as Sasuke, Gaara, Pyrrha, Team RWBY, and Team NYHT tried to get Ruby's attention.

 _ **I am your Angel of Music.  
Come to the angel of music…**_

"Ruby!" called out Yang as Ruby stepped onto a chair that was against the wall and reached out for Kronos's hand that was outside the mirror, "Ruby! Ruby, stop!"

 _ **I am your Angel of Music.  
Come to the angel of music…**_

Ruby took Kronos's hand then stepped into the window and vanished with Kronos while everyone fell forward and Yang ran to the empty window. Eyes turning red, Yang yelled in a rage before shattering the window.

* * *

Ruby sung and held a high note as Kronos steered the boat they were on into a cave just outside of Vale City. Once safely docked at the lair where there were countless candles, Kronos disembarked and helped Ruby off the boat. Raising his hand, Ruby went silent as Kronos went over to a small desk and began writing something. Ruby, meanwhile, regained some life in her eyes and they gained a hint of gold inside of them.

 **"Been 1,000 years, Kronos,"** said Ruby in a voice that wasn't her own.

 **"Didn't think a snot nosed brat like you would bother to keep count,"** remarked Kronos as he continued writing, **"Even if my host allowed you a chance to speak, you still don't have your powers."**

 **"All too true,"** said Ruby as she looked around, **"I see your tastes have changed."**

 **"What do you expect when the humans force our kind to do their bidding?"** questioned Kronos as he kept writing, a little more angrily now, **"We need to adapt to what they offer us."**

 **"You're just as misguided as you were back when our home was slaughtered,"** remarked Ruby.

Slamming the pen on the desk, Kronos took several deep breaths and glared at Ruby.

 **"I'm misguided?"** questioned Kronos furiously as he stormed over to Ruby and grabbed her by the throat, **"I was fighting to avenge those that the humans killed and enslaved. You, however, chose to blindly follow what you had been told by those inferior beings."**

 **"And look what's come of the world because of your actions,"** stated Ruby calmly, **"You've enabled Salem to flourish and stopped Ozpin from defeating her countless times. You're just as heartless as you were back then."**

Kronos held a fist up to strike Ruby but yelled in annoyance before casting her to the floor. Scraping her hands, Ruby's palms bled as Kronos turned away.

 **"You know nothing of what I've been through this lifetime,"** said Kronos in a hurt tone.

 **"Now this is something I never thought I'd see,"** said Ruby as she got up, **"You showing genuine remorse."**

 **"It's not mine,"** snapped Kronos, **"It's my host. These are his emotions."**

 **"Say what you will, but I know you actually have something to care about this time around,"** said Ruby before she staggered forward.

Kronos caught her as the young girl groaned in pain.

"What?" asked Ruby weakly, "Where am I? Why do my hands and legs hurt?"

Taking a deep breath, Kronos helped Ruby over to a chair and silently began healing her legs. Ruby watched as Kronos kept his eyes off her but showed concern.

"You're Kronos, leader of the Black Fang," said Ruby.

Kronos remained silent and continued healing the girl.

"Why did you take me from school?" questioned Ruby.

Again, Kronos remained silent before moving onto Ruby's hands. Quickly healing the scrapes, he remained silent and where he was.

 **"If you want the power to change the world, I can give it to you,"** said Kronos as he stood up and went toward the boat to look out at the ocean outside the cave, **"But in doing so, I would be breaking my vow."**

"You're vow?" asked Ruby as she remained sitting.

 **"The powers of that mask you currently use are temporary,"** stated Kronos as he kept his eyes off Ruby, **"I could make them permanent. But know this. You'll experience a pain far greater than humans will ever know. The voice of the Mistress of the Grimm will forever be in your mind."**

"Salem," said Ruby as she recalled what she had seen in the warehouse.

 **"Her voice is fatal to those who aren't of the Faunus race,"** explained Kronos, **"However, with him inside you, you may be able to break the chains that she keeps on you."**

"Why are you doing this?" questioned Ruby.

 **"Beacon will fall,"** said Kronos as he turned to Ruby, **"I am offering you a choice. Let Beacon fall to ruin and stand by as countless others die. Or obtain a power that could be used to stop it."**

"What do I have to do?" asked Ruby as she stood up but used the chair for support.

 **"If I give this power to you, you must eventually do something for me,"** said Kronos seriously, **"This isn't a game. The fate of the world rests on this decision."**

Ruby lowered her head as Kronos went back to his desk, working on the design of a seal.


	15. Chapter 15

Naruto and Pyrrha panted heavily as they stood on opposite ends of the battlefield. Pyrrha fell to one knee as sweat dripped down her brow. Her armor was dented badly and broken in several places. Naruto took two steps toward Pyrrha when he let go of his sword and fell forward onto the dirt. The area exploded in cheers as medics hurried over to Naruto and Pyrrha, who refused them, went over to her downed opponent. Helping him up, Pyrrha put Naruto's arm over her shoulder and helped him back into the locker rooms.

"Gin!" exclaimed Yuna as she, Hana, and Tamao hurried over to their friend.

Tamao and Yuna took Naruto from Pyrrha, who looked with Hana.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Pyrrha with a little worry.

"He'll be fine," assured Hana as she pushed Pyrrha back toward the arena entrance, "You need to get back out there. They're going to be presenting the trophy in a minute."

Pushing Pyrrha out the door, Hana closed it behind her then went to the back of the locker room where Yuna and Tamao were currently attending to Naruto.

"How could you lose for a second year in a row, commander?" questioned Tamao.

 _"She's just that good,"_ thought Naruto as he finally mustered enough strength to get to his feet.

After a moment he limped toward the arena entrance then exited out just in time to see Pyrrha be presented with a trophy. Naruto trudged onto the stage and raised Pyrrha's arm, eliciting cheers from the audience before Pyrrha threw her arms over Naruto's shoulders and they kissed. The cheers got louder while Hana, Tamao, and Yuna seemed concerned about this.

* * *

Two large doors opened up to reveal a large stone table with eight thrones at it and Sasuke walked inside calmly to join the two others that were sitting at the table. Both were wearing long white coats with their hoods up like Sasuke was doing. Each one of them had on a Grimm mask that obscured their faces as Sasuke's appeared on his face.

 **"Nothing has changed,"** reported Taka calmly.

 **"We're running out of time,"** said the woman three seats on Sasuke's right, **"Kronos is gaining in power and Salem's voice is getting louder. Noctus must be found quickly."**

 **"And what of Kronos and his people?"** questioned the man two seats to Taka's left.

 **"They're staying in Mistral,"** replied Taka, **"He seems to have fallen for a human girl."**

 **"Impossible,"** said the woman, **"In all his lives, Kronos has never once shown any kind of emotion like that."**

 **"Why do you say this?"** asked the man.

 **"He has Noctus' seal on his left arm,"** relayed Taka, **"He also possesses a silver eye. It is possible that his host is fighting back."**

 **"Interesting,"** said the man.

 **"There is one thing I'm worried about though,"** said Taka, getting the undivided attention of the pair, **"Salem has been saying that there's a new player in the game."**

 **"Strange,"** said the man, **"We didn't hear anything about this."**

 **"Either way, we can't rule anything out,"** said Taka, **"I'm going to Salem's realm in order to see if I can find out any more about this new player."**

 **"Just be careful,"** advised the woman, **"There is no telling if Salem just did this to lure you there or not."**

 **"I will,"** said Taka as the three of them stood up and saluted each other.

All three then turned into a black smoke and left the room empty.

 **(That Night)**

Naruto and Pyrrha laughed as they sat with the rest of Naruto's team observing them carefully from across the table of the restaurant they were all in.

"How long can this go on?" muttered Tamao.

"Hopefully not much longer," muttered Hana as she raised her glass and took a sip.

"I'll be right back," said Pyrrha as she excused herself and went to the ladies' room.

Letting off a distant sigh of joy, Naruto watched as Pyrrha vanished from sight for the moment.

 _"Isn't she just the best?"_ thought Naruto in a dreamy haze.

"Gin, what the hell?" questioned Yuna forcefully and surprising Naruto, "A human?"

 _"Yeah, so?"_ questioned Naruto like he didn't understand.

"Do you know how much trouble we'll be in if Lady Sienna finds out about the two of you?" questioned Hana, "Not to mention this is the second year in a row that you've decided to spare her."

Sighing, Naruto ran a hand through his hair and rested his head on his hands.

 _"We've been going at this for 4 years now,"_ thought Naruto, _"I spent my entire life either fighting or running away. You all at least had some normalcy in your lives. Me? I've been raised by bandits and barely had the chance to have a sort of normal life. Just… let me have this for two more days then I'll end it."_

Naruto then remained silent for the rest of the time that Pyrrha was in the restroom and when she came out, she seemed concerned about Naruto.

"You okay?" she asked, "Did something happen?"

 _"It's nothing,"_ said Naruto as he got up and cast a glare at his friends before leaving with Pyrrha.

"Are we bad people?" wondered Yuna remorsefully.

"I think we are," said Tamao.

"Check, please!" called Hana quickly.

* * *

"What was all that about?" asked Pyrrha as Naruto walked her home, "It seemed like something happened between you four."

 _"It's complicated,"_ thought Naruto, _"They have a little thing about humans."_

"Oh," said Pyrrha in shame as she looked away, "Sorry."

 _"It's okay,"_ assured Naruto as he wrapped an arm around Pyrrha's waist, _"I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Pyrrha Nikos."_

Taking a shortcut through an alley, a bang went off with Naruto falling to the ground. Pyrrha was then pushed against the wall with a hand against her mouth and a knife to her throat.

"I'm going to enjoy this," said a sinister male voice as the man licked Pyrrha's ear, "The Idol of Mistral will soon be mine."

Pyrrha attempted to scream in terror but the man's hand stopped any sound from getting out. Pyrrha began shaking as the whites of her eyes gained a little black in them.

 **"What did you just say?"** came a cold voice from behind the man.

Looking over his shoulder, he stared in disbelief as Naruto, now with the eyes of a Grimm, stood up. The tattoo on his arm glowed as the wind blew into the face of his tilted head.

 **"Jouketsu,"** said Naruto as he swept his arm to the side, black steam coming off of it.

The man fell to the ground in horror as he scooted away from Kronos, who slowly walked toward him. Pyrrha just watched as Kronos grabbed the man by the head and slammed him against the brick wall, cracking the bricks from the force.

 **"You humans should know better,"** said Kronos as the terrified man struggled to get free, **"Die like the worm you are."**

A huge burst of black steam shot out from Kronos' hand, covering the screaming man and obscuring him from view. The man stopped struggling as the mist dispersed and Kronos removed his hand. When the man's body fell to the ground, it turned into sand that littered the damp ground. Engulfing himself in a black mist, Kronos turned himself back into Naruto, who looked at the shocked and stunned Pyrrha in shame.

 _"I'm sorry,"_ thought Naruto before he turned into a black mist that flew into the sky.

"Over here!" shouted Hana as she, Tamao, and Yuna came around the corner.

"Pyrrha?" questioned Yuna, "What are you doing here? Where's Gin?"

"He…" began Pyrrha before she looked at the pile of sand, "I don't know."

 **(?)**

Taka landed on the roof of a castle in an eternally dark and barren wasteland that was covered by a blood red sky. Slipping inside, he felt an intense stabbing in his brain as he stuck to the shadows and moved about the castle. Stopping in a large conference room, he saw the one who he was looking for meeting with someone.

 **"And how goes your work, Arthur?"** asked Salem in interest.

"Very well, my lady," said Arthur proudly, "With those in the White Fang helping us, we have successfully brought Lady Hela over to our side."

 _"Hela?!"_ thought Taka in alarm, _"They made her into an artificial Nephilim?!"_

 **"I do wish you had found a proper vessel for her though,"** mused Salem as she leaned against the armrest of her throne.

"As do I," agreed Arthur, "However, from the information we gathered from her, we have located Lord Kronos and are working to convert him to our cause once more."

 _"Damn it,"_ thought Taka urgently, _"I have to warn the others."_

 **"So soon?"** asked Salem as she stared right at where Taka was, **"But we've just been reunited after so many years, Taka."**

Taka made a break for the exit but Salem held out her hand. Taka grunted as he solidified into his human form, unable to move as his body worked against him. Struggling not to turn around, Sasuke grunted as Salem walked over to him and gently caressed his cheek.

 **"I look forward to getting reacquainted,"** said Salem with a smile as Sasuke followed her out of the room against his wil.

 **(The Next Day)**

Pyrrha covered her mouth in disbelief after what Yuna and the others had just told her. They were sitting in a crowded bookstore, so they wouldn't be overheard due to the sheer volume of the people talking. Thoughts about what had just happened raced through her brain as the others seemed to try and deal with what was going on.

"So… you four…" began Pyrrha cautiously.

"Yeah," confirmed Hana, "It's just how the pieces fell in our lives."

"I can't believe it," said Pyrrha as she shook her head, "Naruto's Kronos?"

"We know this is a lot to take in," said Tamao, "But Naruto loves you and we thought that, after our less that happy response to you two dating and seeing Naruto like that, that you deserve to know the truth after seeing Naruto transform."

Running her hands through her hair, Pyrrha struggled to process all this. Looking at the necklace Naruto had given her on their first date, Pyrrha held it tightly as her heart ached. It was then that she realized something.

"I know where Naruto is," said Pyrrha like she didn't believe what she was saying.

"Where?" pressed Yuna.

Pyrrha hurried out of the bookstore with the others following. Running out of town, they hurried through the trees before the three Nephilim turned into a black mist that scooped Pyrrha up and they hurried along.

"Take a right… now!" ordered Pyrrha.

The smoke turned and continued following Pyrrha's directions. Eventually, they stopped at what appeared to be a small meadow with a little stream and a waterfall cascading down a 35 foot cliff. Sitting on a rock was Naruto, playing a gentle tune on an ocarina. Pyrrha slowly walked over to Naruto as the others reformed before standing back to give Naruto and Pyrrha some space. Taking a seat next to Naruto, Pyrrha placed a hand on his leg, causing him to stop playing. Setting the ocarina down between them, Naruto lowered his head.

 _"I sorry I didn't tell you about me,"_ apologized Naruto regretfully.

"Why didn't you?" asked Pyrrha.

 _"First off, as a member of the White Fang, who look down upon humans as monsters, you and those that you love would've been killed,"_ explained Naruto as he kept his eyes off Pyrrha before gesturing to the others, _"Then there's the fact that they don't really like you very much."_

"Naruto… we're sorry," apologized Hana, "It's just… we were worried about what would happen to you if Lady Sienna found out."

 _"I had already cleared it with Sienna before anything happened,"_ thought Naruto as he looked back at his team, _"She was troubled by the feelings I had developed for Pyrrha at first. But after seeing how I performed during missions when I wanted to see Pyrrha, she allowed us to continue seeing each other."_

Standing up, Naruto turned away from Pyrrha with his eyes closed.

 _"I understand if you never want to see me again,"_ thought Naruto, _"I just… didn't want you to think I was a monster."_

He began to walk away when Pyrrha grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into a gentle and caring hug.

 _"Please don't scare me by running off again,"_ thought Pyrrha as tears ran down her cheeks.

 _"I'm sorry,"_ apologized Naruto as he cut off communication to the others.

"So, what do you think they're talking about?" asked Tamao as she folded her arms.

Naruto turned into a black mist that engulfed Pyrrha and flew up high into the sky before heading toward town.

 **(That Night)**

Sasuke panted heavily as he was chained up with his arms over his head. Salem calmly walked up to him, grazing his cheek with her fingertips. Sasuke grunted loudly in pain as Salem chuckled.

 **"It is so great to have you back,"** remarked the witch as she walked around Sasuke, **"I have wanted to see you again for so long, Taka."**

"Bite me," said Sasuke defiantly.

 **"Looks like we'll need to work on that little temper of yours,"** stated Salem as she left the room, a Seer taking her place.

Sasuke struggled to free himself of his bindings but stopped when he felt something appear somewhere in the world.

* * *

Yuna, Hana, and Tamao raised their heads as they felt a strange feeling in the back of their heads.

 _"What was that?"_ thought Yuna curiously, _"It's not Salem's voice. This is something… else."_

* * *

The two people sitting at the table raised their heads and shot to their feet.

 **"It can't be,"** said the woman, **"After all this time, the artifact surfaces?"**

 **"Change of plans,"** said the man as they both headed for the door, **"We must find the artifact before Kronos does."**

 **(The Next Morning)**

Pyrrha flinched as a loud noise stirred her from her sleep.

 _"Naruto…"_ thought Pyrrha groggily, _"Please keep it down."_

 _"Keep what down?"_ questioned Naruto in his sleep.

 _"The noise,"_ thought Pyrrha as she rolled over and drifted further into sleep.

 _"I'm not making any noise,"_ thought Naruto back.

An instant later, the pair shot up, wide awake, and looked at each other.

 _"Your parents aren't back yet, are they?"_ questioned Naruto.

"They're not supposed to be back for another two days," stated Pyrrha before they hurried out of the room.

Running downstairs, they entered the kitchen to find a young girl of about 5 with shoulder length red hair rummaging through the pantry. The girl pulled her head out and looked at them with innocent and curious green eyes that were eager for knowledge.

"Mama, can I please have something to eat?" asked the girl of Pyrrha.


	16. Chapter 16

"We lost a student!" yelled Ironwood at Ozpin as he slammed his hand on Ozpin's desk, "Not only that but Kronos is planning on killing her."

"I'm afraid you might be right," agreed Ozpin while the other members of the Black Fang were against the wall, "Perhaps it would be best to seal away Kronos again."

Ghoul looked over her shoulder, as if she was listening to something.

 **"Where?"** asked Ghoul in disbelief before looking at Ozpin, **"Ruby is apparently passed out downstairs by the fountain."**

Ozpin and Ironwood hurried to the elevator while the Black Fang turned into a black mist that flew out the window then down to the ground. Once there, they returned to human form and sure enough, found Ruby sleeping against the fountain with Naruto asleep next to her. Running over to the pair, they gently shook them awake. Ruby was the first to wake, opening her eyes groggily as she looked at Tamao.

"Huh?" she asked tiredly, "Tamao? What's going on?

It was then that she noticed where they were.

"Why are we outside?" asked Ruby as she looked around, "What happened to the party? When did it get morning?"

"Ruby, you've been missing for over 12 hours," explained Tamao as Yuna and Hana continued to try and wake Naruto.

"What?" asked Ruby in disbelief as Tamao helped her to her feet, "But, I was just at the dance a second ago."

Ozpin and Ironwood came over just as Tamao was escorting Ruby away. Naruto, meanwhile, groaned as he held his head and stood up.

 _"Before any of you say anything, I already know what you're going to ask,"_ thought Naruto as he rubbed his eyes, _"Kronos didn't do anything to Ruby."_

"And how can we trust you?" questioned Ironwood seriously.

Holding up his left arm, they all realized that his tattoo was gone.

 _"Does that give you an idea that I'm not joking?"_ questioned Naruto before he went off to get a shower and fresh change of clothes.

* * *

Tamao opened the door of Team RWBY's room and Yang seemingly flew over and pulled Ruby into a hug.

"Please don't go off again," said Yang through tears as Tamao smiled and left.

Taking Ruby over to Weiss's bed, Yang helped Ruby sit down and they all looked at her.

"What happened last night?" asked Yang in concern, "You went through that window and vanished."

"I… don't really remember," said Ruby as she struggled to remember, "I remember the blackout then… nothing,"

Placing her right hand on her head, Team RWBY leaned back in surprise as they had just seen the design on Ruby's arm.

"Uh, Ruby," said Blake.

"Yeah?" asked Ruby with an eyebrow raised.

Weiss pointed at Ruby's right arm and the girl seemed alarmed at the tattoo that was there.

* * *

Kronos arrived in Ozpin's office through the window and looked at the other members of the Black Fang, Ozpin's group, and Gaara.

 **"I suppose you all want specific answers from me since you don't trust the boy,"** remarked Kronos as he sat down in a throne that the black mist coming from him had formed.

"What exactly did you do to Miss Rose, Kronos?" questioned Ozpin.

 **"I simply offered to make her powers permanent,"** stated Kronos amusingly, **"I guess I was just happy to speak to an old friend after a thousand years."**

"It still doesn't change the fact that you abducted a student," stated Ironwood angrily.

Ironwood gagged as he reached for his throat while he was lifted off the ground.

 **"I'd remember who you're speaking to, human,"** snapped Kronos before Ironwood fell back to the ground, **"Either way, none of you are able to stop me no matter what I do."**

 **"You're still only able to achieve Phase 1,"** stated Taka as he raised his talon.

 **"Who says I haven't reached Phase 2?"** asked Kronos with a chuckle of amusement before looking at Ozpin, **"I have seen what is to come. The boy has as well. You failed, Ozpin."**

"No, we haven't," argued Goodwitch.

 **"I'm the Nephilim of Foresight,"** explained Kronos as he tapped his temple, **"I can see the future laid out before me. I have seen Ozpin's failure and I intend to make sure it's followed to the second."**

"I won't allow it!" shouted Ironwood as he pointed his revolver at Kronos and fired.

Lunar appeared in front of Kronos in an instant, catching the bullet and crushing it with her hand.

 **"Big mistake, General,"** said Kronos as he was in front of Ironwood in an instant and grabbed him by the collar.

Kronos' form began shimmering with a black water before Ozpin slammed his cane on the ground.

"That is quite enough," said Ozpin, "I may night be as powerful as Noctus but I will not tolerate you causing chaos at my school."

Kronos's form settled and he dropped Ironwood onto the ground. Dusting off his hands, Kronos headed toward the window and looked over his shoulder at Ozpin.

 **"The only way to stop me is for Noctus to awaken,"** he stated coldly, **"But you remember the dangers of forcing him to awaken. Either he resurfaces naturally or this world will burn. You won't be hearing from me for a while."**

He turned into a black mist that flew away from the tower. Landing on the roof of the dormitories, Naruto dusted off his sleeves then looked up to see Pyrrha waiting for him.

"Ruby is fine," said Naruto as he held his hand to his throat.

"I know," said Pyrrha in understanding, "But, Naruto, are you sure this is the only way?"

Lowering his head, Naruto walked up to Pyrrha's side, holding her hand without looking at her.

"This is all to make sure you and Summer survive," said Naruto with pain in his voice, "I'm sorry."

* * *

"Are you crazy?!" shouted Ironwood at Neko and the others, "Why would you still support him?!"

 **"It may be true that Kronos has caused cataclysmic destruction in the past,"** said Neko calmly, **"But the four of us believe that Kronos is different this time."**

"Are you sure about this?" asked Gaara.

 **"Positive,"** replied Ghoul, **"Kronos has shown something we've never seen in all our lifetimes and we choose to follow him because of this."**

 **"None of you were there for those events,"** stated Lunar, **"Naruto, not just Kronos, were hurt by the events two years ago. They lost the ones they loved and aren't ever able to have that back."**

"What are your thoughts on this?" asked Goodwitch of Taka.

 **"I was the one who brought the information to Kronos about what was happening to Hela and Pyrrha,"** said Taka calmly, **"As the Nephilim of Sorrow, I could feel the pain they were constantly going through. Even now, I can feel their pain. Something has changed in Kronos. When Naruto asked me to look after the artifact, that Kronos would be willing to allow it to leave his grasp, I knew something had changed in him."**

Ozpin lowered his head onto his hands and closed his eyes.

"What do you think we should do?" asked Goodwitch as they all looked at him.

"Kronos's visions are never wrong," stated Ozpin, "The only factors he can't see in them are other Nephilim. If we are to be able to stop this tragedy from happening, we must ensure Noctus is awoken natural to avoid another disaster."

 **(Half an Hour Later)**

Kronos opened his eyes and looked around at the nearly full stone table before him.

 **"Why have you brought us here, Kronos?"** questioned the man sitting three seats to his left.

 **"Kronos is actually letting me handle this,"** stated Kronos, **"He doesn't seem to want to speak right now."**

 **"What exactly did Kronos do to Ruby last night, Naruto?"** questioned the woman sitting two seats to his right.

 **"Kronos and I transferred Noctus' emblem to Ruby in an effort to awaken his dormant powers inside her,"** explained Kronos while lowering his head, **"We also saw something in our visions that… we just can't let happen."**

 **"And what was in those visions?"** asked Taka.

Kronos remained silent before holding his right arm.

 **"Something I'd rather not reveal at this moment in time,"** stated Kronos in a depressed tone, **"Everyone will reveal themselves during the tournament at some point."**

 **"Are you sure about this?"** asked Neko, **"This would undo everything we did years ago."**

 **"I know,"** said Kronos, **"However, this world must go down this path in order for Salem to be defeated."**

Clenching his hand, Kronos crushed the armrest of his chair.

 **"If… if Pyrrha is to live this time with her memories intact, we need to do this,"** stated Kronos nervously before he vanished.

Naruto opened his eyes then looked around at Team NYHT's room, finding the others were still in council. Taking this chance, Naruto got up and headed to the main Academy building. Stepping inside the elevator, he headed down to the vault with a look of remorse on his face. Once he was inside Amber's chambers, he sat down on the floor and closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. A moment later, he opened his eyes to find himself in the sitting room of a house in Menagerie. Across the table from him was a girl that looked like a younger version of Pyrrha, about 7, with a fox tail attached to her rear.

"Hey, Summer," said Naruto in a nervously happy tone.

"Papa!" exclaimed Summer as she jumped over the table to Naruto, only to pass through him.

"I'm sorry, honey," apologized Naruto sadly, "This is just a projection of my mind."

"Oh," replied Summer as she slowly walked back to her seat with her head down.

"How've you been?" asked Naruto, "Are you eating right? Are you getting enough sleep?"

"I'm fine, Papa," said Summer sadly, "I just wish you and Mama would come get me."

Those words caused Naruto's heart to ache as it stirred up memories of the day he dropped her off. The amount of tears he cried that day seemed like it would allow the ocean to drown Menagerie.

"Listen, Mama may not be with us in the world much longer," explained Naruto.

"Why?" asked Summer, not understanding this, "Why not?"

"Your Papa had a vision," explained Naruto as he cried, "It… It was of Mama dying in his arms."

He looked away as he didn't want Summer to see him crying.

"I swear to you that I've tried everything to make sure that that doesn't happen," said Naruto as he lowered his head, "But, I'm just afraid of what's going to happen to her. I want her to be able to live with us. If Noctus doesn't wake up before then…"

Summer hurried over to Naruto then wrapped her arms around him, her body giving off a small, barely noticeable light.

"Its okay, Papa," assured Summer, "I'm sure Uncle Noctus will wake up soon."

"Me too," said Naruto as he hugged Summer back before looking off to the side, "I've gotta go. Uncle Sasuke will be back in a day or so to check up on you."

"Alright," said Summer as she backed away and waved to Naruto, "Bye, Papa."

"Bye, Summer," said Naruto as he closed his eyes again.

When he opened them, he found himself back inside Amber's chambers and lowered his head. Standing up, he turned to Team NYHT, plus Sasuke and Gaara, then lowered his head as he headed out of the room with them following close behind.

 **(That Night)**

Naruto tossed and turned in his bed as Team NYHT slept before fore he shot up, screaming. This woke his teammates up as he panted heavily and held his chest.

"Gin, what's wrong?!" questioned Tamao as they hurried over to their teammate.

 _"Ruby… she's in danger,"_ thought Naruto as they all turned into a black mist that flew out of the window.

* * *

Ruby ran from Torchwick and the members of the White Fang, who were firing at her, as she headed for her team and Professor Oobleck when the White Fang members between Ruby and her team were engulfed in a thick black mist. Everyone stopped what they were doing as the White Fang members in the mist screamed in agony before the mist dispersed to reveal four people standing among skeletons. The members of the White Fang took a step back in fear as the Black Fang stared them down.

"Who are those guys?" asked Weiss.

Kronos motioned for Ruby to run by them as Ghoul picked up a rock then threw it through the head of sniper on one of the buildings.

"Don't just stand there, kill them!" ordered Torchwick.

The White Fang members moved in behind the Team RWBY with Neko drawing her sword. Running by Team RWBY, she ran through the White Fang members, stopping on the other side. Sheathing her sword, blood flew from the large cuts on them before the members of the Black Fang walked to Team RWBY. Oobleck got between Kronos and Ruby, causing the Nephilim to sigh.

 **"I take it you know who we are?"** questioned Kronos.

"Yes," said Oobleck sternly, "I won't let you lay a hand on these children."

 **"You idiot,"** said Lunar, **"We're not here to hurt them. We're here to save Little Red Riding Hood."**

GET TO YOUR PLACES! WE ARE LEAVING NOW!

 **"Great,"** said Ghoul as they all hurried to catch the train.

A White Fang soldier that was on the train suddenly had a large tail pierce their chest and the body was then thrown from the moving train.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Blake.

 **"No, but it was the easiest way of making sure we wouldn't be caught so quickly,"** said Lunar as they all climbed to the roof of the train.

"Alright, children, we must get to the front and stop this train!" said Oobleck loudly.

"Uh, we have a problem!" shouted Weiss.

They all looked in the hatch Weiss had opened to find a large bomb ticking.

 **"Move!"** ordered Neko as they all ran toward the next car.

The train car they had just been on detached, leaving them all confused as the bomb inside it went off, collapsing the tunnel.

"We've got baddies!" shouted Ruby as she pointed toward the front of the train.

Looking in that direction, they saw dozens of White Fang members climbing to the top of the cars and approaching carefully.

 **"We've got an even bigger problem,"** said Ghoul, **"There are more bombs in the other train cars."**

Oobleck ran ahead several cars and checked inside.

"She's right!" shouted Oobleck as the train car that Team RWBY and the Black Fang were on detached from the rest of the train.

The members of the Black Fang grabbed a member of Team RWBY and jumped to the car Oobleck was on as the other cars detached and watched as the bombs in the cars went off.

"This doesn't make sense!" shouted Yang.

Team RWBY turned toward the approaching White Fang and engaged them. Meanwhile, a black katana with a green blade appeared in Kronos's right hand while a black and green bow appeared in Lunar's, a pair of dual swords appeared in Neko's, and an enormous halberd appeared in Ghoul's with an even larger axe head as they faced the large horde of Grimm approaching.

 **"We'll thin out the amount heading for the city,"** said Kronos to Oobleck before lowering his head, **"Tell Ozpin that we don't blame him for what happened."**

The quartet jumped off the train after another car detached and exploded. The charging Grimm stopped in their tracks and seemed cautious to move as the Black Fang stood their ground. Kronos ran up a piece of rubble then stabbed a Creep through the face with a black liquid being sprayed into the air from the large cut. Jumping off the Creep, Kronos shattered its mask as he spun around in midair to cut a King Taiju clean in half. From yards away, Lunar fired a single arrow that pierced at least ten Beowolves. Neko jumped and spun in the air as she cut a Death Stalker's tail off along with one of its claws. Ghoul ran along the ceiling and cut a Beowolf in in two.

 **"Together!"** shouted Kronos as the other three Nephilim ran at their leader.

The moment they collided, all four vanished into thin air. However, a second later an explosion of aqua blue flames flooded the tunnel, turning a majority of the Grimm to ash.

* * *

Ozpin's eyes shot wide open and he ran toward the window, staring at the horizon.

 _"It can't be…"_ he thought as he quickly went to wake Glynda.

* * *

Salem moved her head slightly to her left and frowned.

 **"This feeling…"** she muttered as she got up from her chair then glided toward the window, **"It can't be…"**

For the first time in a long time, a single tear fell to the ground a Salem's feet.

 **(Five Minutes Later in Vale City)**

As everyone was currently fighting the huge horde of Grimm, a giant shadow enveloped them all. They all looked up and saw a wave of sand that shouldn't be possible towering over them. When it crashed down, all the humans shielded themselves but found none of the sand was hitting them. Instead, it enveloped all the Grimm and robots, encasing them underground. Gaara arrived on a cloud of floating sand then jumped down onto the sand covered streets. He then knelt down, slamming his hand in the finely ground earth.

"Sabaku Taisō!" he declared.

A huge shockwave spread out from where Gaara's hand had touched before standing up. All the sand flew into the gourd on his hip then was sealed shut by the sand turning to stone. When it was all said and done, all that was left was piles of scrap. As the rest of the Atlesian Military in Vale arrived, Ozpin did as well to survey the damage that had been done. Team NYHT arrived, groaning as they held their heads as they trudged over toward Team RWBY and Team JNPR.

"What happened to you guys?" asked Blake as they all looked at Team NYHT.

"We were… ugh… fighting some Grimm and…" began Hana but stopped when she groaned in pain again.

"We got flung through a couple of walls," added Tamao, "Likely have a couple of concussions."

Yuna ran to a lamp post and retched before throwing up. Naruto, meanwhile, looked like he was about to collapse and pass out. He was about to fall over when Yang and Weiss caught him to prevent him from doing a face plant.

* * *

"Anything else?" asked Ozpin of Oobleck as he kept an eye on Team NYHT.

"Kronos had a message for you, sir," said Oobleck, "We don't blame you for what happened."

Ozpin frowned and headed back to Beacon.

* * *

"Thank you for your help, Prime Minister," said Ironwood as he shook hands with Gaara, "Although, I do wish you wouldn't have destroyed Atlesian Military properties."

"It was either that let the collateral damage increase," stated Gaara as he watched the rest of the Atlesian Soldiers remove their robots, "Besides, I need to make sure my people are safe."

 **(Several Minutes Later)**

Team NYHT sat in an empty bar with each drinking something alcoholic to dull the pain.

"We're never doing that again," said Tamao as she held an ice pack to her head.

"What was that exactly?" asked Yuna as she lied down in a booth.

 _"It was a theory,"_ explained as he tried to drown the pain out with several bottles of rum, _"I thought Kronos could potentially have a Phase 4 and it looks like I was right."_

"But it forced us all to share one brain and body," added Hana as she sat under the bar with a flask, "Not to mention we couldn't even hold it for a second."

 _"If only we could find a stabilizing agent,"_ thought Naruto as he took several more swigs of rum.

"We could use Summer," pointed out Yuna, "Thank the gods that Naruto can alter time around us so we don't stay drunk for longer than a few seconds."

 _"First of all, you're welcome,"_ thought Naruto, _"And second, we're not using my daughter as the stabilizer."_

"Then it looks like we're never doing that again," said Hana before she sat her bottle aside and checked her scroll, "Oh no."

"What's wrong?" asked Tamao as Yuna sat up.

"Looks like Rey is going to be coming for a few hours in the next couple of days," said Hana as she read the message over again.

Naruto's bottle of rum shattered in his hand, causing Hana and Tamao to flinch. Naruto took several deep breaths before the bottle was suddenly put back together and the contents back inside.

"So, all members of the Grand Pantheon are going to be here?" questioned Yuna in disbelief.

"Apparently so," said Hana as they all turned to Naruto, "Are you okay with this?"

 _"Why wouldn't I be?"_ asked Naruto as he took another drink.

"Because you aged the entire building out of existence," said Tamao as the building they were in had disappeared except for a couple of walls.

 _"Whatever,"_ thought Naruto as he sat the bottle down and headed back toward Beacon, _"We need to prepare for the tournament."_

* * *

In her room in Atlas, Winter Schnee finished going over all her normal duties before she went back to her office. Once the door was closed, she leaned against it then removed one of her gloves. A set of metallic claws came out from the scars in her knuckles and gave off a faint black mist. Retracting them once again, she cleaned the blood off of her knuckles before sitting down at her desk. She picked up a secured line that the rest of the Atlesian Military couldn't listen in on then dialed a number. After it rang for a few seconds, she heard someone on the other end pick up.

"Yes," asked a female voice on the other line as Winter let her hair down.

"Let our King's sword be what guides us to a better tomorrow," said Winter as a black mist gathered around her face.

"How can I be of service to you, Defense Minister Rey?" asked the woman on the other end of the line

 **"Is everything going according to plan?"** asked Rey with a tone of regret in her voice.

"Yes, ma'am," said the woman on the other end, "All troops are prepared and ready to defend Vacuo to their last breath."

 **"That's all then,"** said Rey as she hung up the line and her mask dispersed into a black smoke that vanished.

Winter placed her arms on her desk then her head in her arms as she cried.

* * *

 **Remember what was revealed about what the White Fang was doing with Nephilim when you think about what was revealed about Winter.**


	17. Chapter 17

Raven Branwen was about to call for a raid on the village she and the Branwen Tribe had surrounded when everything turned gray and froze. Scowling, Raven turned around and looked Naruto dead in the eyes.

"What do you want?" she questioned indignantly as she folded her arms.

 _"The Vytal Festival is tomorrow,"_ thought Naruto as he looked away uncomfortably.

"So?" asked Raven in the same tone.

 _"I was… kind of hoping… you would come and… watch my first match,"_ thought Naruto hopefully.

"I've got better things to do," said Raven as she placed a hand on the hilt of her sword, "Now, why are you really here, Kronos?"

 **"Can't hide anything from you, can I?"** asked Kronos as his mask and coat formed on his body, **"The brat is sleeping right now so I came to ask you for a favor."**

"And what makes you think that I'd do anything for you," questioned Raven as she now gripped the handle of her sword.

 **"I have the Relic of Choice,"** said Kronos begrudgingly, **"I'm willing to give it to you as payment."**

"How did you get it out of the vault under Beacon?" asked Raven as she removed her hand from her sword.

 **"It's still technically there but Salem would have to come to Beacon herself if she wanted to get into the pocket dimension that I placed the vault entrance in,"** said Kronos before he took a seat on a stump.

"What's the favor?" asked Raven as she folded her arms.

 **"I… I need you to watch after Pyrrha Nikos during the tournament,"** explained Kronos, **"In your avian form, I need you to keep an eye on her and let me know if she is somehow in danger of dying."**

Raven seemed to take this into consideration and mulled over her options.

"Alright then," said Raven with a calculated smile, "I'll do you this favor."

 **"Thank you,"** said Kronos before he turned into a black mist that flew up into the sky.

Time resumed and Raven gave the signal to attack. Minutes later, the town was engulfed in flames and overrun with Grimm.

 **(The Following Day)**

In a Vacuo Airship, a man wearing a bluish-gray outfit that made him look a monk with the shadow of his hood obscuring his face watched the Vytal Festival Tournament going with Team NYHT currently facing off against Team ABRN from Haven Academy. A woman, with short black hair, fair skin, green eyes, and wearing a black outfit came up next to the man and bowed.

"We've almost arrived at Beacon, sir," reported the woman.

"Have you ever seen such fine combat in your life, Shizune?" asked the man calmly like he knew her answer, "I haven't seen a fight that spectacular since we overthrew the Council."

"They are only children, sir," said Shizune as she joined the man watching the match, "They are young and naïve but do have potential."

"I do hope we're speaking of the same team, Shizune," said the man in a wary tone.

"Of course, sir," said Shizune as Team NYHT stood tall in victory, "The team from Beacon is truly unique."

"Now then, I trust everything is ready for landing?" asked the man as the screen shut off and allowed him to look out at the sky before them.

"Yes, sir," said Shizune, "I've double checked all personnel and they are prepared for landing."

"Check them again," ordered the man, "They must be on standby when I announce our next big move."

"As you wish, your majesty," said Shizune as she turned and left the room.

Walking to the window, the man put his hand on the glass and smiled under his hood.

"You better be prepared," warned the man as the airship slowly started to descend.

* * *

Team NYHT high fived as they walked about the different stands to celebrate their win when Naruto looked over his shoulder.

"You won!" exclaimed Ruby as she tackled her brother excitedly.

 _"Ow!"_ thought Naruto in pain as the rest of Team RWBY came over.

"Nice job out there," complimented Yang as Weiss dragged Ruby off of Naruto by her hood, "You guys looked so awesome out there."

"Thanks," said Yuna as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "We just have great chemistry."

"Sorry about you four not being able to compete," apologized Tamao from behind Hana.

"Yeah," said Blake in disappointment, "How is it none of us noticed that our forms were missing our medical records?"

"Speak for yourself," said Weiss as she folded her arms, "I triple checked to make sure I had everything but they just disappeared."

Naruto dusted off his robe when Ruby groaned loudly.

"I'm starving," whined Ruby.

"I could go for something to eat," added Blake before her stomach grumbled loudly.

Blake turned a deep red as Naruto chuckled softly before putting an arm around her waist and pulling her close.

 _"How about I treat my girlfriend to as much fish as she can eat?"_ suggested Naruto playfully while Ruby seemed sad about that.

As they walked, Naruto stopped and looked up into the sky.

"Something wrong?" asked Weiss as everyone looked up at the clear blue sky.

 _"It's nothing,"_ dismissed Naruto.

"Hey!" called out Emerald as she came up to them and they all turned around, "Might be hard to eat without this."

She held up a red wallet, causing Ruby to frantically search her person before Emerald laughed. Unnoticed by everyone, Team NYHT was casting Emerald and Mercury glares.

"So, looks like Merc and I are going to be moving on to the doubles round," said Emerald as she looked at Team NYHT, "What about you guys?"

"We put it to a vote and decided on Hana and Tamao," said Yuna in agitation.

Tamao lowered her head as she took in the countless sounds and heard Emerald's slightly fast heartbeat.

"Well, we're gonna catch some more fights," said Emerald as they turned away from each other.

"Have fun!" called out Ruby as they went off.

Team NYHT and Team RWBY took their seats at a noodle stand with Team NYHT on RWBY's right. Each of them ordered a bowl of noodles with Blake's topped by a mountain of fish. Naruto handed over his credit card and were just about to pay for it when someone called out to them.

"Hello, everyone!" said Pyrrha cheerfully as her team approached.

"Pyrrha!" exclaimed Ruby.

"Why don't you let me pay for this?" suggested Pyrrha, "You all deserve it after that fight."

"Uh… you do know we're at a noodle stand, right?" asked Hana cautiously as she exchanged looks with the other girls on her team.

"It's no problem," brushed off Pyrrha with a chuckle, "I think my bank account could more than pay for how much Naruto is going to eat."

"Mind if we join you?" asked Jaune.

 _"Wait a minute,"_ thought Naruto with a pout on his face, _"What did you mean by that, Pyrrha?"_

After about half an hour, Team RWBY, JNPR, and NYHT had each pushed away their bowls as they had had enough while Naruto was busy eating his sixth bowl of noodles.

"Where does it all go?" asked Yang in concern.

"Now you know why we don't take Gin to noodle shops," said Yuna weakly as she tried to sleep in her seat, "It's like his stomach is a black hole when it comes to noodles."

"Sounds sort of like Nora with pancakes," remarked Jaune.

"Where pancakes?!" questioned Nora excitedly before Ren pulled her back down to her seat.

"Last time we brought him to one, he cleared out their entire inventory," said Hana in distress as Naruto was just finishing up his eighth bowl.

He was about to order some more before Tamao placed a hand over his empty bowl.

"I think you've had enough, Gin," said Tamao seriously, "You don't want to bankrupt Pyrrha, do you?"

Naruto whimpered before finally setting down his chopsticks. He then heard a bird cawing and looked over his shoulder to see a raven sitting on the roof of a stand. Naruto lowered his head and seemed sad about this.

"Is something wrong, little bro?" asked Yang in concern.

 _"It's nothing,"_ assured Naruto as he got up and walked away into the crowd, vanishing a moment later.

* * *

Winter rubbed her hands together as she waited for her airship to arrive in Vale and closed her eyes.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" she asked as Sasuke appeared behind her.

"His majesty sent me ahead to make sure you know what you're supposed to do," stated Sasuke, who frowned even deeper, "Frustrated are we?"

"I've done everything he said," said Winter as she rounded on Sasuke, "Kronos said he could save my family. All if I swore allegiance to him."

Sasuke chuckled in amusement as he leaned against the wall.

"Technically, you didn't swear allegiance to him," corrected Sasuke, "You swore allegiance to Vacuo and don't worry about the listening devices or cameras. I disabled them."

"It doesn't change the fact that I've basically been a double agent that's lied to not only my family but the country I swore to serve and protect," argued Winter.

"You also did that with Vacuo," reminded Sasuke as he stood back up, "Once the signal is given, you know what you must do."

"Of course," said Winter angrily as she looked away.

"Don't be like that," said Sasuke as he held Winter's chin and forced her to look at him in the eyes, "We all have our goals but we all have a mission we've been working toward since Kronos revealed the truth about us. You may not like it but in order to set things right, this must be done."

He closed his eyes then kissed Winter, who didn't seem to mind it before Sasuke moved away.

"I best get back," said Sasuke as he let go of Winter's chin, "I may have done something that Kronos won't like and I need to lessen the blowout from it."

Space around him distorted and he soon vanished, leaving Winter alone in the hallway. Winter then looked at the black mist coming from her hands before she clenched them and continued on her way to the bow.

* * *

Naruto stood at the entrance to the arena as everyone filed in for Team JNPR's match against Team BRNZ from Vacuo before sighing in resignation.

"Papa!" exclaimed a voice that caused Naruto to turn pale as small arms wrapped around his leg.

Looking down, Naruto stared at the toothy grin of Summer Branwen.

"Wh-What are you doing?" asked Naruto after clearing his throat as he tried to force himself to sound happy and not surprised.

"Uncle Sasuke brought me," said Summer with a smile, "He said you were going to be fighting and thought I should see it in person."

Naruto made a mental note to tear Sasuke limb from limb and picked up Summer as he turned to enter with his daughter.

"There you are, Naruto!" called out Ruby.

 _"Fuck,"_ thought Naruto in terror as he turned to Team RWBY and his own.

The rest of Team NYHT went stiff when they saw Summer and also became extremely pale as the blood drained from their faces while Tamao appeared just fine.

"And who's this?" asked Yang as she went up to Summer and ruffled her hair, "It looks like Pyrrha shrunk."

 _"This is Summer,"_ introduced Naruto as he pulled Summer into a warm hug.

"I'm here to see my Mama and Papa fight," said Summer happily.

"Huh?" asked Weiss as she tilted her head, "Mama and Papa?"

"Ha ha," said Hana as she and Team NYHT hurried to their leader and grabbed both him and Summer, "She's such a kidder. We better find our seats. Bye!"

With that, Team NYHT got lost in the crowd as they headed for their seats while Team RWBY looked at each other.

"What was that about?" asked Blake.

"I have no idea," said Yang as she folded her arms, "Are there even any adults in the tournament?"

"No," said Weiss as she tried to find Team NYHT in the crowd, "Only students currently enrolled in the Huntsmen Academies are able to compete."

"Anyway, we should get to our seats," said Ruby as she lead her team to their seats to watch the match.

* * *

Team JNPR and Team BRNZ walked onto the field and they all drew their weapons. The biome was about to be selected when the entire arena looked toward one of the entrance tunnels on the arena floor as a sheet of azure flames came out from it then turned into an azure carpet. About two dozen people wearing armor like that of an Arma Gigas came out and crossed their swords in the air. Everyone in the stands from Vacuo shot to their feet and stood at attention while Team BRNZ got to one knee and hung their heads as a boy about their age, wearing a worn bluish-gray robe with the hood hiding his face, walked slowly onto the field. Each of the knights moved their swords to allow the boy to pass underneath them without stopping before crossing them again.

* * *

Yuna, Hana, and Tamao turned to Naruto, who had Summer sitting on his lap, in surprise to find he was scowling at what was happening.

* * *

"Uh, I don't know who you are but you're not allowed to be down here," said Jaune as he reached to place his hand on the boy's shoulder.

In an instant, Team BRNZ had Jaune pinned to the ground as the knights surrounded them with their swords ready to strike.

"Enough," said the boy as he snapped his fingers.

The knights withdrew their swords and Team BRNZ got off Jaune as the boy held his hand out to Jaune. Jaune cautiously took it and the boy pulled him to his feet. The boy then turned to Team BRNZ, who instantly got back into position with their heads down.

"This is a celebration of peace between our kingdoms," said the boy as he scolded Team BRNZ, "Don't overreact just because someone doesn't understand or know who I am."

"Yes," said Team BRNZ as one, causing Team JNPR to look at each other to try and figure out what was going on.

"I will not tolerate anyone who disgraces the image of our kingdom as a place where all are treated as equals, regardless of who they are, where they come from, their species, or anything else," said the man as he stared down at Team BRNZ, "And get up. All of you."

Team BRNZ stood up at attention while the boy got close to exam them individually.

"Let them win," said the boy to each of them quietly, with Pyrrha being the only one to hear it.

The boy then turned to Team JNPR and bowed deeply before standing again.

"I apologize for interrupting your match," apologized the boy respectfully, "I merely wished to make sure my people were in top shape for their match. Good luck to you four."

The boy went back toward the tunnel with his knights as Team BRNZ saluted.

"Glory to King Ozma and Queen Salem!" declared Team BRNZ.

"Glory to King Ozma and Queen Salem!" declared all those from Vacuo in the arena.

* * *

"Ozma…" muttered Ozpin as he watched from his office, "Salem…"

"What the hell do you mean you didn't know?!" demanded Ironwood to one of his lieutenants over his earpiece, "How could you miss the King of Vacuo being here?!"

"Did you know about this?" asked Goodwitch of Gaara, who was leaning against the wall.

"Of course," said Gaara with no emotion, "His majesty didn't want to disturb the festivities with his being here so he came in secret."

"Well, that's quiet a big secret!" shouted Ironwood at Gaara, "We don't have anywhere near enough security for this event!"

"All the students of Shade Academy are sworn to defend the kingdom with their lives," explained Gaara, "That includes his majesty and the rest of cabinet. No one would dare attack him while he's here."

* * *

"Look, Papa!" exclaimed Summer excitedly as she pointed at King Ozma sitting thirty seats to their left, "It's a real king! Just like the in stories Uncle Ghira and Aunt Kali told me!"

 _"Now, remember how you're supposed to act around people like that, Summer,"_ reminded Naruto through his thoughts.

"Gin, what in the name of Remnant did you do?" questioned Yuna as she kept her gaze on the field as the battle simulation got underway.

 _"It's all part of the plan,"_ thought Naruto as his gazed turned to Pyrrha.

Meanwhile, Naruto and King Ozma looked at each other out the corner of their eyes before giving a barely noticeable nod and going back to watching the match.

* * *

 **What could Naruto be planning?**


	18. Chapter 18

King Ozma applauded with the rest of the arena as Team JNPR had defeated Team BRNZ before beckoning Shizune over to him. He whispered something to her and she nodded in confirmation. She then left the arena while the next match with Team NDGO and Team SSSN was being set up. From afar, three members of Team NYHT had their hung and their eyes were closed while Naruto was busy dealing with Summer.

 **(?)**

 **"What the hell is going on?"** questioned Lunar as she, Ghoul, and Neko sat in council with Taka, **"How is Ozma here?"**

 **"It's a part of Kronos' plan,"** explained Taka calmly, **"You three must know by now that, as the Nephilims of Rapture, Mercy, and Beasts, the Aura of the planet has shifted drastically. This requires drastic measures to be taken."**

 **"But that doesn't explain how both Naruto and Ozma exist in two different places at the same time,"** said Neko as she slammed her fist on the table.

 **"Kronos has been experimenting with his powers for the past 2 years,"** said Taka with a sigh of resignation, **"It's a power he only recently developed and it's the only time he's done it."**

They all looked toward the ceiling before back at each other.

 **"It looks like our time is up,"** said Taka as he began to fade away, **"Remember, all this is to stop Salem."**

He faded completely before the three remaining members of the Grand Pantheon looked at each other.

 **"What do you two think?"** asked Ghoul with worry in her voice.

 **"Naruto and Kronos have never truly lied to us,"** said Neko with a sigh, **"As much as I hate to say it, we still need to go through with this plan. At least until Noctus is awake."**

The three then faded away as the entire room vanished into the darkness.

 **(Back at the Arena)**

The three girls of Team NYHT opened their eyes just as the arena started to clear out for an intermission before the next match. They watched as Naruto put Summer on his shoulders then proceeded to leave with her and a smile on his face.

"Is Gin smiling for real this time?" asked Yuna in surprise.

"I wouldn't know," said Tamao as a joke, "But judging by his heartbeat, he's more relaxed than he's ever been."

An Atlesian transport passed overhead, causing two to look at it with worry.

"Well, there's Rey," said Hana before she realized something, "You don't think Gin would do anything stupid right?"

"Define stupid," said Yuna.

"Confronting Rey to try and get revenge for killing his father?" suggested Hana.

All three stood in silence before hurrying off to find Naruto and Summer.

* * *

Weiss was accompanied by Ruby to the landing platform just outside of Beacon with the red head struggling to keep up.

"Weiss, what is the big deal?" asked Ruby in exasperation, "Who is it?"

Ruby then noticed a woman that looked like an older Weiss walking out of the airship then quickly made the connection.

"Is that… your sister?" asked Ruby cautiously.

"Yeah," said Weiss nervously.

"Have you… talked to her since then?" asked Ruby in the same tone.

"No," denied Weiss with a quick shake of the head.

Slowly, Weiss walked forward with Ruby just as Winter turned around to face them.

"I'm…" said Weiss before her nerves got the better of her.

"Beacon," said Winter as she looked around, "It's been a long time since I was here last. The air feels… different."

"It is Fall," said Ruby before Weiss elbowed her in the ribs to shut up.

"Winter, I…" began Weiss before Winter placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine," assured Winter, "I'm not mad about when we last talked. I understand how you feel."

"Really?" asked Weiss a little eagerly.

"Yes," said Winter with a small chuckle, "To answer your questions, it's classified what I'm doing here and how long I will be staying."

"Oh," said Weiss, a little crestfallen.

"But I am staying long enough that I can spend some time catching up," added Winter with a smile.

Weiss's nerves went down a little before Winter looked at Ruby.

"I thank you for looking after my sister, Miss Rose," said Winter politely.

"Thanks," said Ruby sheepishly before realizing that she'd never introduced herself to Winter, so she couldn't have known her name.

"I have business with the General and your headmaster," explained Winter as she held her hands behind her back, "But, seeing as I'm early, why don't you take me to your quarters?"

"Really?" asked Weiss in amazement.

"Certainly," said Winter as she began walking with her Atlesian Knights and Weiss, "I need to make sure they're up to my personal standards."

Weiss began making small talk with Winter while Ruby was left behind as a third wheel. After several minutes of walking, Winter and Weiss heard something behind them and turned just in time to have the disembodied head of an Atlesian Knight thrown at their feet. Standing across the courtyard was Qrow Branwen, with a headless Atlesian Knight in one hand and another destroyed one at his feet.

"Halt!" ordered Winter, stopping the Atlesian Knights around her and Weiss from attacking Qrow.

Before Qrow could say anything, a long odachi with a glowing green edge stopped him from moving any further as Naruto walked in front of him.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" questioned Weiss as she walked over to the blond boy, who pushed her aside as he glared at Winter.

Reaching up to his throat, he cleared it then took a deep breath.

"Come here to tear apart more families, Schnee?" questioned Naruto.

"I thought you couldn't talk," said Weiss from Naruto's side before her moved her behind him without taking his eyes off Winter.

"Or did you come to tell baby sister the truth about what happened?" he asked with a scowl.

"I'd keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you, Naruto," said Winter as she drew her sword.

"Now, is that any way to speak to the person that saved you from those experiments the White Fang had been performing on you?" questioned Naruto as Weiss looked at her elder sister.

"Winter, what's he talking about?" asked Weiss to deaf ears.

"Besides, the last two times we fought, you couldn't defeat me," said Naruto calmly while continuing to scowl, "Since you are in the mood of making up with Weiss, perhaps I'll tell her the reason for your actions that day."

"Don't you dare," snarled Winter as she took a step forward.

"Why not?" asked Naruto as he rested his odachi on his shoulder, "She deserves to know that you love her enough to spare her life."

Winter roared as she charged forward and locked blades with Naruto, causing a shockwave that sent most everybody either flying or skidding back several feet. To all but a few, the only thing they saw in the courtyard were small flashes of green light while to the rest, they saw Winter and Naruto constantly pushing each other away each time their swords met.

"What's going on?" asked Ruby as she jogged up to Weiss.

"Naruto is attacking my sister," explained Weiss.

"Oh no," said Ruby in worry as she watched the fight.

Locking blades, Naruto kicked Winter through a lamppost, causing her to drop her sword. Leaping up into the air, Naruto brought his sword down on Winter but it was stopped by the three blades coming out from each of Winter's knuckles. She parried Naruto's sword into the air then pushed back and lunged with each slash of her claws. Naruto gave her a mocking smile as he dodged each of her slashes before flipping back and jumped over her while also pushing off from her back. He stuck his foot under Winter's sword then kicked it up into the air before kicking it by the hilt to send it flying at the elder Schnee.

Grabbing her sword after barely dodging it, Winter swung at Naruto, who jumped up to the top of a column of pillars around the courtyard. Winter leapt after him and lunged forward but came up short as Naruto appeared on the other columns. Holding his hand out toward her, he fired off several blasts of fire that forced Winter to run to dodge. Naruto ran with her before he aimed ahead of Winter, causing her to run into the explosion. Winter then flew out of the smoke with the tip of her sword pointed right at Naruto's face. Naruto caught the blade between two fingers and the next thing Winter knew, she had impacted on the ground and coughed up some blood. Naruto then pushed off toward Winter, who held up her off hand in a hand sign, a glyph appearing in front of her palm.

Naruto wailed in pain as he flew by Winter and skidded to a halt on the ground but thrashed about and twitched as a glyph glowed through the clothes covering his back. All the while, Naruto was crying out in pain as Winter panted and got to her feet.

"Winter, stop!" shouted Weiss as she grabbed the arm Winter was using to activate the glyph in an effort to stop her, "You're going to kill him."

Winter seethed as the light from the glyph started to turn black and a smile appeared on her face.

"Papa!" cried out Summer as she ran over to the convulsing and screaming Naruto, "Papa! You're scaring me!"

This snapped Winter out of her rage as she recalled seeing this exact same scene years ago. The glyph vanished from her hand and the glowing of the glyph on Naruto's back quickly died with Naruto quieting down and he soon stopped moving.

"Papa?" asked Summer as she tried to wake Naruto awake but failed.

Winter looked on in horror as Summer ran over to her and banged on her legs with her tiny fists.

"You killed Papa!" cried Summer as she continued to hit Winter, "You killed him!"

"I…" began Winter as she tried to come up with the words, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

"Schnee!" came the angry voice of Ironwood as he, Ozpin, and Goodwitch approached.

Team NYHT ran over to Naruto before Yuna went over to Winter and slapped her across the face. Yuna then pulled Summer into a warm hug and let her cry into her shoulder.

"It's alright," assured Yuna as she continued glaring at Winter while stroking Summer's long hair, "Your Papa is just resting."

She picked up Summer then leaned closer to the horrified woman.

"You nearly just killed us all," warned Yuna as she left with the rest of Team NYHT while Hana had Naruto flung over her shoulder.

"A word," said Ironwood as he passed in front of the shocked and afraid Winter.

Winter looked back at Weiss, who quickly backed away from her sister before hurrying off with Ruby to check on Naruto.

"Busted," mocked Qrow as he followed Ironwood.

Winter retracted her claws then looked at her bloody knuckles before hanging her head and following Ironwood and Ozpin.

 **(Half an Hour Later)**

Winter stood in the middle of Ozpin's office with Qrow, Ironwood, Goodwitch, and Ozpin himself when the girls of Team NYHT, Sasuke, and Gaara entered from the elevator.

"How is Mr. Branwen doing?" asked Ozpin in concern.

"He's sleeping right now," reported Sasuke, "We managed to get Summer to calm down and have forbidden anyone other than Pyrrha from coming into contact with either of them."

"How could you be so reckless?" questioned Yuna as she glared at Winter, "You nearly killed everyone in the area."

"How was I supposed to know that Summer was there?!" shouted back Winter before turning to Sasuke, "Why didn't you just tell me that she was here when you came to see me on the ship?"

"Do I really need to spell it all out for you?" questioned Sasuke, "There are only two things that could possibly make Kronos and Naruto mad and one of them is putting Summer in what they think will be danger."

"Either way, we have everything to both transfer Amber's powers safely and awaken Noctus," said Goodwitch.

"No," denied Ozpin, "We're not forcing Noctus to awaken."

"But we need him to stop what Kronos is planning," argued Qrow, "You know what Kronos can do."

"I do," said Ozpin solemnly before looking up at the gathered Nephilim, "What exactly is Kronos planning?"

"It's pointless asking that," said Gaara, "Kronos and Naruto had me use my powers as the Nephilim of Silence to forbid us from leaking that information."

"What would happen if you broke it?" questioned Raven as she flew in via the open window.

"Well, what brings you here, sis?" questioned Qrow as he drank from a flask.

"I'm on a job," said Raven with a scowl at her brother before looking at Gaara, "Well?"

"We die," confessed Winter, still ashamed of what she had done, as she kept her eyes off of Raven, "We die instantly and reincarnate like Ozpin does. But I've never actually taken that oath."

"Then you can tell us what the plan is," said Ironwood.

"I'm sorry, General," apologized Winter with a heavy heart, "But that is one order I cannot follow."

"Schnee, do you realize what could happen as a consequence of this?" asked Ironwood.

"I do," affirmed Winter, "But, like I did years ago, I let my pride cloud my judgment earlier today. I can't, in good confidence, divulge that information at this time."

"Very well," said Ironwood with a sigh of empathy, "I expect you to reveal what you know in the near future. You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir," said Winter as she headed for the elevator before stopping as soon as the door opened, "I'm sorry for what happened to Minato."

Raven's finger twitched a little at the name before Winter left via the elevator and the door closed behind her. Winter sighed as she leaned against wall of the elevator before the door opened and King Ozma stood in front of her.

"Hello, Minister Rey," said Ozma in happy tone.

"S-Sir," said Winter nervously as she got out of the elevator, "W-Where's Shizune?"

"I gave her the night off," explained Ozma as he slowly circled around Winter, giving her rear a small tap.

Winter resisted the urge to slap Ozma on the face and took a deep breath.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Winter as she tried to remain calm.

"I am," said Ozma as he groped Winter's chest, "Just remember, play your part and I'll heal your mother."

He then seemingly vanished as Winter took a deep breath then turned into a black mist that dispersed and flew toward the dorms. Reforming on the roof, Winter headed downstairs before she came to a room at the end of a hall. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Winter knocked on the door and waited. Pyrrha opened it and scowled at Winter.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"I… I came to apologize," said Winter.

 _"Let her in,"_ said Naruto's thoughts in their heads.

Pyrrha stepped aside and Winter entered, finding Naruto and Summer were sleeping together in an armchair in front of a fireplace that was going.

"I'm… I'm sorry for what I did," apologized Winter with remorse in her voice.

 _"It's fine,"_ thought Naruto, _"I shouldn't have antagonized you. I guess I still have some anger left inside of me from that day."_

"You know, I still have nightmares about that day," confessed Winter as she sat against the back of the armchair, "I remember you crying for your father and I just think about all the times I would cry, wishing my father would be kind to us."

 _"It seems like we're both cursed with terrible parents,"_ thought Naruto with a sigh in his sleep, _"You with your father and me with my mother."_

"Which one?" poised Winter, "Raven or the mother we shared in our first lives together?"

 _"Touché,"_ thought Naruto in amusement, _"But we can't let familiar ties stop us from doing what we need to do."_

"You sound just like Ozma with a little more tact and less perverted," said Winter as she hugged her chest tightly.

 _"Don't blame him,"_ thought Naruto, _"He's been living like a king for two years. But he's only acting like that to take his mind off of what's to come next. Pyrrha, please leave and don't listen in on us."_

Pyrrha seemed concerned about this but left after giving the sleeping Summer a kiss on the head.

"Have you told the others?" asked Winter.

 _"No,"_ thought Naruto, _"Not even Ozma knows that my powers have grown. If he were to find out what I saw, he'd start the plan right now."_

"She's going to die," said Winter as Naruto minutely opened his eyes and placed a hand around his daughter, holding her close.

"I know," said Naruto as he watched the flames crack and burn, "Soon, we will all say goodbye to her."


	19. Chapter 19

Teams RWBY, JNPR, and NYHT, minus Naruto, who was resting, and Summer, who was sitting on Pyrrha's lap, watched as Coco and Yatsuhashi of Team CFVY took on Emerald and Mercury. All the while, the members of Team NYHT took notice of how everyone from Vacuo were casting glances at Ozma, who was sitting with a group of people across the field from them. In addition, the Vacuo students were also watching Emerald and Mercury closely. Once the match ended in what seemed like a lopsided victory for Emerald and Mercury, Ozma leaned over to Gaara, who nodded before they stood up and left for the small intermission.

"Mama, I need to use the potty," whispered Summer nervously to Pyrrha as she fidgeted.

Pyrrha took Summer's hand and hurried off while Shizune looked back at them. Ducking into the crowd, Shizune followed the pair toward the bathroom and once the pair had gone inside, Shizune looked around before following them inside.

 **(Half an Hour Later)**

Weiss sat with Winter in a tense silence after the elder Schnee had cornered her and convinced her to give her a chance to speak. On the table between them was a tea set that neither touched. After another minute or two silence, Winter took a deep breath.

"First off, I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted," apologized Winter, not getting a response from Weiss, who refused to look at her, "There's a reason I did what I engaged Naruto. I assume he told you about our mother and his father?"

"What of it?" questioned Weiss angrily as she still refused to look at Winter.

"Father was afraid of losing what he'd stolen from our mother and ordered me to do the deed," explained Winter, "I refused of course but… then he said something that concerned you."

"Me?" asked Weiss as she finally gave Winter so side eye.

"He…" began Winter before her nerves got the better of her before she took another breath, "He said something would happen to you if I refused."

"What?" asked Weis, now looking at Winter completely.

"I had no choice," said Winter as she began to cry, "I didn't want anything to happen to you so I… killed Naruto's father."

Her entire body trembled as she covered her head and recalled that day.

"I see it every time I close my eyes," confessed Winter through tears, "I see Naruto crying over his father's body and it terrifies me every time I think about it."

Winter managed to regain her composer enough to stifle her tears released her claws.

"It got so bad that I was sent to a mental hospital and was captured by the White Fang," revealed Winter, "They did horrible things to me and I just let it happen because I thought I deserved it," she then retracted her claws and held her hands, "I was rescued, however, by the Black Fang before they died."

"Wait," interrupted Weiss, "You mean you were rescued in the Fall of the Fang?"

"Yes," confirmed Winter as she nodded, "Kronos' last words to me were words of encouragement. "Live and one day, grow strong to change fate." Those words, I've tried to live by ever since. Which has led me to accepting a drastic change."

Winter took a deep breath and finally looked at Weiss with pain in her eyes.

"In just over a year, I'm resigning from the Atlesian Military to take up a position as head of the Remnant Guard," explained Winter, "They're the personal bodyguards of King Ozma. That means I can never return home, Weiss."

"What?!" exclaimed Weiss, "But what about your friends and family?"

"Funny you would mention family after what I just told you about father," remarked Winter sadly.

Weiss then calmed down before Winter stood up and went to kneel down next to her.

"I'm so sorry for hiding all of this from you," apologized Winter as a glyph glowed on the back of her off hand glowed before vanishing and appearing on the back of Weiss's, "I'm leaving it to you. You have a choice to make in the future and this will affect the fate of the entire world."

"What are you talking about?" asked the now creeped out Weiss.

"Naruto and King Ozma are planning something that will threaten peace in Remnant," warned Winter, "You now have a chance to stop them from doing this. But this is not something you can just do. You need to really think about the consequences of your actions. One wrong step and you'll cause more damage than them."

Weiss was about to speak when a large gust of wind crashed into them. Both girls shielded their eyes as the tea set went flying and the table was soon picked up. Moments later, the wind had died down but Winter was nowhere to be seen. Weiss was left confused as to her and looked around for any sign of her sister.

"Winter?" she asked as she looked around for her sister, "Winter?!"

* * *

Winter wailed in pain as she was thrown to the floor of the Beacon Vault with the girls of Team NYHT, Sasuke and Gaara around her.

"Do you have any idea how close we are?!" demanded Yuna as she kicked Winter hard in the ribs, "Because of you, our plans are in jeopardy now!"

"I'm… sorry," apologized Winter as tears streamed out of her face.

"Do you even know why we even have this plan?" questioned Gaara seriously, "There's a far bigger danger from leaving things as they are now than from proceeding with this."

"Well, none of you have told me anything about it except what my role is," said Winter as she shakily got to her feet.

"And with good reason," said Hana as she folded her arms, "As the newest Nephilim, you're just getting used to all this. There are some things you just don't understand yet."

"Then help understand," shouted Winter with her head down while her bun had come undone and her hair was obscuring her face, "Help me figure out why we're doing this!"

"You're not in any place to ta…" began Sasuke before they all looked at Naruto, who was currently using his sheathed sword as support and appeared out of nowhere.

 _"Leave us,"_ thought Naruto as he glared down at Winter.

"But, Naruto…" said Tamao cautiously.

 _"LEAVE!"_ thought Naruto a little more forcefully.

Everyone but Winter and Naruto turned into a black mist that flew out of the vault and left the two to themselves. The mist gathered behind Naruto and formed a throne for him to sit on. He raised his hand to his throat and cleared it.

"How much do you know about how we were first created?" questioned Naruto calmly but with the scowl still on his face.

 **(That Night)**

Pyrrha stroked Summer's hair as she slept in the bed they shared before looking out the window with worry, thinking back to earlier that day.

 **(Flashback ~ 10 Hours Ago ~)**

Pyrrha stood silently as she waited for Summer to finish up in her stall when Shizune came in and used a sink.

"It's nice to see you two together," said Shizune casually as she washed her hands, "The Artifact does need proper care taken when handling it."

"Excuse me?" questioned Pyrrha cautiously as she gave Shizune side eye while reaching for her weapon.

"Don't get me wrong," said Shizune as she began scrubbing with soap, "I don't see her as an object but I'm just as cautious of causing her powers to go out of control."

"Aren't you one of King Ozma's people?" questioned Pyrrha as she drew Miló, "How do you know about Summer?"

"I make it my business to know about things that concern the Royal Family," said Shizune as she rinsed her hands then dried them off.

She then turned to face Pyrrha and frowned.

"A bit of advice, Queen Salem," said Shizune as Miló was now in her hand, surprising Pyrrha, "You need to let things play out as they go down. Try to stop them and you doom everyone in Remnant should those Archdemons evolve."

"I'm finished, Mama," said Summer as she came out of the stall and looked at Shizune, "Who's this?"

"I'm just a friend of your Mommy's," said Shizune with a kind smile on her face, "I also work for King Ozma."

"Really?!" exclaimed Summer in excitement, "What's he like?!"

"He's the kindest and gentlest king anyone could ask for," said Shizune as she crouched down in front of Summer and ruffled her hair, "I'll be sure to tell him that he has new fan."

"Summer, you need to wash up now," reminded Pyrrha, getting Summer to start washing her hands.

"Remember," warned Shizune quietly so that only Pyrrha could hear her over the running water as she stood up then tossed Miló back to Pyrrha, "Let things play out and know your role."

 **(End Flashback)**

Pyrrha closed her eyes as she finally realized what she needed to do and gave Summer a hug as she slept.

"I promise that, no matter what happens to me, I'll always be with you," she whispered through tears.

Meanwhile, Raven, in her avian form, watched Pyrrha through the window before cawing and flying off into the darkness.

* * *

 **Just about done with Volume 3. Sorry this chapter wasn't longer but if I were to put every single thing from those episodes into the story, it would take me forever to get through it all.**


	20. Chapter 20

Pyrrha, Ozpin, Qrow, Goodwitch, and Ironwood walked through the vault under Beacon and soon came upon Amber's capsule but with an unexpected person waiting for them.

"What are you doing here?" questioned Ironwood sternly.

 _"Stopping you all from ruining my plan,"_ thought Naruto as he turned to them with his odachi drawn, _"Did you seriously think I would leave the most vulnerable Nephilim unwatched? In addition to Tamao's Shikigami, I hired mother to keep an eye on Pyrrha and warn me if something was happening."_

"So, that's why she's here," said Qrow quietly.

"Naruto, now is not the time to argue," said Goodwitch, "We need to hurry and transfer Amber's Aura before she dies."

Naruto gave off what sounded like an attempt at laughing before pointing his sword at them.

 _"Do you seriously think that I'd allow that?"_ poised Naruto with a scowl, _"None of you realize how much danger we are in at the moment. Transferring Amber's powers is nothing compared to what could happen."_

"And what would you know?" questioned Ozpin as he gripped his cane tighter.

 _"I know far more than you ever could,"_ thought Naruto as he moved the tip of the blade to point at the headmaster, _"And I'm more cautious than when you tried to take us away from Salem that night."_

Ozpin froze slightly at those words and released his tight hold on his cane.

"We'll give Miss Nikos until after the tournament to decide," stated Ozpin, "Until then, I'd like to have a little chat with Mr. Branwen alone. And I don't mean you, Qrow."

Naruto and Ozpin locked eyes as the words of Ozpin's advisors fell on deaf ears before they left. Pyrrha cast one last glance at Naruto before leaving with them. Once they were alone, Naruto and Ozpin stood in silence for about a minute, neither making a move.

"How long have you known?" asked Ozpin, slightly afraid to hear the answer.

 _"This life?"_ thought Naruto as he looked around, _"About a decade. But ever since my second reincarnation."_

"So, she did do it," muttered Ozpin in dismay.

 _"All because you wallowed in your pity and dismay,"_ thought Naruto as his sword vanished into a cloud of mist, _"Don't tell me you never noticed in all the lifetimes we've known each other. I would've thought that you of all people would recognize our abilities."_

"I'm… so sorry what happened to you and your sisters that night," apologized Ozpin with remorse in his voice, "I never meant for that to happen."

 _"It's fine,"_ assured Naruto as he went up to Amber's capsule as placed a hand on the glass, _"The four of us had forgiven you eons ago. But that's not why we're here now."_

Turning toward Ozpin, Naruto shifted into his Nephilim form and stared the man down.

 **"The Grand Pantheon seeks the revival of Saint Noctus and despite what you all think, I have no intention of killing Noctus's host,"** said Kronos, **"In fact, I need him to awaken as part of my plan."**

"And what is your plan?" questioned Ozpin as Kronos walked up to him until they were inches from each other.

 **"You'll find out soon enough,"** said Kronos before he turned into a black mist that flew out of the vault.

* * *

After having shaken off Emerald attempt to use her semblance on her, Hana circled around the defeated Mercury, who was on one knee before grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up to eye level with her.

"Tell your friends that illusions don't work on Nephilim," spat out Hana quietly before she stepped on one of Mercury's mechanical legs and broke the knee joint.

The crowd booed loudly and angrily as several Atlesian Knights came out and surrounded Hana with their weapons pointed at her.

"Looks like it's time to play again," said Hana as she cracked her knuckles.

Getting into a fighting stance, Hana suddenly appeared in front of one of the robots and punched a hole straight through it. The others fired as Hana shielded herself with the remains of the robot then flung it at the second. Dodging the bullets, Hana hit an uppercut that tore the head off one before sweeping the legs out from under the one next to it. She grabbed the fifth robot by the gun and threw it into the six while kicking falling robotic head through the head of the seventh. Once she was down to the last one, Hana smiled as he eyes momentarily flashed to those of a Grimm before Yuna had put her in a headlock.

"Overkill," whispered Yuna as Hana faked trying to get free, "You only needed to break the leg."

"Sorry," apologized Hana as more Atlesian Knights came onto the field with several soldiers.

Both eventually managed to cast glances at Team RWBY during their struggle to see they were in shock and disbelief at Hana's actions.

 **(The Next Day)**

"I'm guessing this was a part of your plan?" questioned Ironwood as he paced around Team NYHT's room with the girls sitting on the beds and Naruto asleep in his armchair.

 _"Just the part to get disqualified,"_ came Naruto's thoughts as he slept, _"Attacking the Atlesian Knights was overdoing it, Hana."_

"Sorry," apologized Hana with her head hung, "But you told me to make it look believable and I guess I was a little ticked off about Emerald trying to use her semblance on me."

"Well, your plan worked," said Ironwood seriously, "Due to the outrage from those in attendance and watching around the world, Team NYHT has officially been disqualified from the Vytal Festival Tournament."

"We better wrap this up," said Tamao calmly, "Gin's sisters and their team are outside waiting to talk to us."

"Alright then," said Ironwood seriously, "I hope you reflect on your actions, young lady."

He then left and moment later, Team RWBY came in with Blake closing the door behind them.

"What happened out there?" asked Yang in concern as they all looked at Hana, "Why did you just attack like that?"

"I just… I guess I just freaked out," lied Hana, "When I was young, I lived with a traveling caravan in Vacuo. We would use the feathers that fell off my wings to make dreamcatchers for children in the villages we came across. But one night, we were attacked by bandits and I was almost kidnapped. I just suddenly remembered all the screaming and I guess I just snapped."

Hana let her wings out but had them encase her so as not to take up so much room. What surprised Yuna and Team RWBY was how molted they were.

"I haven't been able to fly properly since then and I've begun losing all my feathers," whispered Hana as she picked up one of the feathers that had fallen onto the bed, "They start molting every time I take them out and it just frustrates me that I can never feel the air on my face as I fly high above the clouds."

"She's not the only one to have lost something," said Tamao as she reached for her milky colored eyes, "I long to be able to see those who are my friends. I was already losing my sight after I got hit in the head with a beer bottle but this just made the inevitable come faster."

She held Hana and Yuna's hands as tears feel down her cheeks.

"I miss being able to see all the colors of the world," said Tamao.

"I miss being able to just have a polite conversation with my mother," added Yuna, "Ever since we had our falling out years ago, we've never spoken in person. Just through letters and messengers."

 _"And I miss being able to share with my father all the memories I've made,"_ came Naruto's thoughts as Team RWBY looked at the armchair he was sleeping in, _"We all have something we long for. Even you four. Ruby and Yang long for the love from the mothers they never knew. Blake yearns for the day when Faunus are treated as equals. And Weiss craves her familiar bonds to be renewed and healed."_

Standing up, Naruto used his sword for support as he staggered over to the flames of the fireplace and stared into them.

 _"Something is going to happen soon,"_ warned Naruto, _"Some of us may live and others may die. But we can only succeed if we trust and believe in each other. The Gods may be watching us but we write our own future and I pray that we all just make it through safely."_

"What are you saying?" asked Blake as she went to her boyfriend's side, "You make it sound like you're going to die."

 _"We're all dying,"_ thought Naruto solemnly, _"Each one of us will eventually die. But, in this world, we cannot blindly believe we can all live until an old age. Some of us will die before that."_

He then pulled Blake into a hug that the members of Team NYHT knew was meant for someone else.

 _"Lead us to a place,"_ he thought, _"Guide us with your grace. Give us faith so we'll be safe."_

He then silently walked out of the room as Team NYHT each said a silent prayer.

 **(At Sunset)**

Pyrrha ran toward the arena in tears after her talk with Jaune before bumping right into Naruto, who was walking with Summer. Naruto caught her by the hand and pulled her back to her feet.

"Are you okay, Mama?" asked Summer in concern as she took Pyrrha's other hand, "You're crying."

"I'm fine," sniffled Pyrrha through her tears, "I just had a bit of a disagreement with one of my teammates."

Just as Naruto was about to project his thoughts, Summer tugged down on his arm to get him to kneel down next to her. Placing her small hand on his throat, Summer closed her eyes as her hand gave off a small light. Naruto recoiled gently and felt no pain in his throat anymore. He then pulled Summer and Pyrrha into a deep hug with all their heads gently together.

"Thank you, Summer," thanked Naruto gently and quietly.

"You're welcome, Papa," said Summer before Naruto pulled back.

"Now, listen," said Naruto sadly, "After tonight, Papa and Mama are going to go away for a long time again."

"How long will you be gone?" asked Summer.

"Naruto will be back soon," said Pyrrha, "But I'm not going to be coming back."

"Why?" asked Summer in distress, "Why not?"

This tore at Naruto and Pyrrha's hearts to see and hear Summer so distressed before pulling her into a hug again.

"Mama is going to see my Papa in that special place," explained Naruto with tears in his eyes, "It's a place we can't go and they can't return from. But, years from now, the two of us will be able to go see them again."

"But I don't want Mama to go see your Papa!" shouted Summer as she threw a fit.

"I know it's tough," said Pyrrha, "But remember what your Papa said when he dropped you off with Uncle Ghira and Aunt Kali."

"If you cry or get angry, you can never be reunited with those you love again," said Summer as she began to cry.

"That's right," said Naruto, "You can't cry or get angry at what's going to happen or we'll never be together again."

"Okay," said Summer as she hugged her parents back.

 **(Several Minutes Later)**

Ruby took her seat in the arena for the next match after her team's rather odd talk with Team NYHT when she noticed someone sitting across the arena from her.

"Emerald?" she muttered in confusion, "She's here?"

She noticed Emerald was scanning around for something and got up. She quietly went back to the tunnel that led to the concourse. She ducked inside a door that was marked 'AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY' and began walking down the hallway. However, she stopped when she saw Mercury walk out from a side hallway in front of her.

"Mercury?" she asked the man suspiciously.

It looks like our first contender is Penny Polendina from Atlas!

"What are you up to?" questioned Ruby.

And her opponent will be Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon!

Mercury just smiled and Ruby's face became horrified when she realized what was going on.

"Polarity vs. metal," said Mercury as he mocked thinking about it, "That could be bad."

What's this?

Ruby and Mercury looked at the monitor in the hallway just in time to see King Ozma walking out onto the field.

* * *

Everyone in the arena watched as Ozma disrobed to reveal the sleek metallic and robotic armor that he wore underneath. Sheathed across his back was a long katana and across his lower back was a short sword. He stopped in the middle of the field and lowered his head.

"Alpha protocol," said Ozma calmly, "Self-destruct."

Penny's face became scared at that command and she shook her head.

"No," she said fearfully, "Please, don't make me do that."

"You have no say in the matter," said Ozma as he streaked by Penny and sheathed the long sword across his back.

Penny fell to pieces and the entire arena grew silent.

* * *

"No," said Ruby in horror at what she just saw.

"So, that's what Kronos was talking about," said Mercury calmly.

"Kronos?" asked Ruby as she looked at Mercury before looking back at the monitor.

* * *

The girls of Team NYHT appeared behind Kronos with their weapons drawn when Sasuke and Gaara got between them. Ozma turned to Team NYHT and nodded. Team NYHT then slowly turned to Pyrrha as Ozma got to the front of the group. Sasuke and Gaara closed in as a black mist leaked off their bodies.

"Jouketsu," they all announced as the mist turned into a raging storm that forced Pyrrha to brace herself.

A large pair of black wings dispersed the storm and everyone in the arena looked on in terror as the six Nephilim stood in the middle of the arena.

 **"Did you all really think that I had died?!"** questioned Kronos triumphantly, **"All you inferior beings… One person tells you we're gone and you treat it like it's a victory for humanity! Humanity has failed you all! The humans of Atlas are building robots that can disguise themselves as humans in order to prepare for a war they wish to start and yet we're the bad people?!"**

* * *

 **"We united Vacuo and instilled order and balance where no one is ignorant of the truth!"** proclaimed Kronos while the other members of Team RWBY watched in disbelief, **"We saved all those people and Faunus where as the foolish council could not and gave them a purpose and a place where they could be treated as equals!"**

* * *

 **"It is here that I declare that the island of Menagerie is now a state of our great nation and all Faunus living in our boarders shall no longer be treated like savages and monsters like the Grimm!"** declared Kronos to the cheers and applause of those from Vacuo in the audience, **"I also declare that the president of the Schnee Dust Company, Jacques Schnee, a criminal wanted for the crimes of genocide, false imprisonment, murder, espionage, money laundering and crimes against the Faunus race with a bounty of 10,000,000 Lien for his capture and transportation to Vacuo to face trial for his crimes!"**

The people from Vacuo cheered louder as Kronos slowly raised his hand.

 **"And to those who seek to stand in the way of the Kingdom of Vacuo, let this boy who tried to kill me be an example to you all,"** said Kronos as he held up the limp body of a familiar blond with one hand.

* * *

"Stop him now!" ordered Ironwood to all his soldiers through his earpiece but getting a loud noise in response while Ozpin and Goodwitch watch the monitor in horror.

* * *

The moment Kronos put his hand through Naruto's chest, everything seemed to fade away around Ruby, leaving her in a dark void. A strong sensation began building in her chest as she grabbed for her heart. A heavy pressure built up in her chest, making it impossible to draw breath. Her entire body burned like it was on fire as her eyes turned from silver to those of a Grimm. Her entire body shook as a black mist began leaking from everywhere on her body. She let out a silent scream into the void before the sensation exploded and her entire body became a black, red, blue, and yellow mist.

* * *

The entire arena shook as the floor exploded and Kronos was suddenly grabbed by the multicolored mist. He yelled in pain as he was flung around the arena, the barrier almost breaking each time he hit it before he was pulled out of the mist by the large racoon made out of what seemed like black sand. The mist landed in front of Pyrrha as a sinister voice reached their ears.

 **GHOUL! GHOUL!**

 **NOCTUS GHOUL!**

Something sinister laughed as the mist finally cleared and revealed an armored individual seething at the sight of Kronos.

 **"Noctus Phase 1,"** said the man in the armor.

 **"Nice to see you up after all this time, Noctus,"** said Kronos mockingly as he got to his feet and blue flames gathered around him as he got into a fighting stance, **"Moeru."**

The flames engulfed his entire body but soon died down to reveal Kronos was now wearing a type of armor modeled after a dragon. Noctus walked forward and Kronos charged him. Noctus effortlessly caught the punch before pushing Kronos back. Kronos came in again but Noctus dodged it with a speed so fast that it left after images each time he moved. Kronos went for a spinning kick when Noctus appeared on the other side of him. He ducked under Kronos' right hook then simply backhanded him to send him staggering with a monstrous amount of force.

The moment Kronos turned to face Noctus, the Nephilim appeared in the air then landed atop Kronos. He then lit Kronos up with a right-left-right combo of punches that let off red colored mist with each blow before kicking him across the face. Kronos staggered back to one knee and Noctus was about to finish him off when he suddenly hit with a barrage of blows from Taka's sword, the lightning from Ghoul's mouth, the flames from Neko's claws, and the bladed feathers from Lunar's wings. He was then held down by the black sand from the last Nephilim and struggled to get free as Kronos walked up to him.

 **"I see your bluff and raise you five of our brothers and sisters,"** said Kronos before he gave Noctus's head a hard right to the chin, an audible snap echoing throughout the arena.

Noctus went limp as the sand retreated and Noctus's form turned into a mist that quickly dispersed to reveal an exhausted Ruby Rose. Kronos turned away and held his arms open to the arena.

 **"As I was about to say before I was interrupted, I have a new decree,"** declared Kronos, **"As of right now, I declare and end to the Kingdom of Vacuo and proclaim the start of the Empire of Menagerie!"**

Feeling something on his ankle, Kronos looked down to see the weak and injured Ruby struggling to get up.

 **"This is a surprise,"** said Kronos as Ruby used his leg to try and get up, **"It normally takes several hours for those who've had a Purge to recover."**

"Why?" asked Ruby, "Why did you… kill him?"

Picking Ruby up by the neck, Kronos looked into Ruby's hurt silver ones.

 **"To stop the Mistress of the Grimm, this had to happen,"** he muttered before Ruby's wounds were suddenly healed, **"Don't take this as a sign of weakness. You still have a bigger part to play."**

He let Ruby fall to her feet with her struggling to remain standing before he returned to human form. Just as he was about to leave with the other Nephilim, Ozma cast a glance at the shocked Pyrrha when an alarm sounded.

ALERT! INCOMING GRIMM ATTACK! THREAT LVL 9! PLEASE SEEK SHELTER IN A CALM, ORDERLY MANNER!

The entire arena erupted in an uproar as people scrambled to get out.

"All those from Vacuo are to defend civilians with their lives!" ordered Ozma as his voice seemed to be raised to monstrous levels.

He then hopped on Ghoul while Lunar grabbed Neko and the racoon Nephilim and they all flew into the air with Taka toward Vale City to face the horde of Grimm that approached from the mountains.

* * *

 **For those wondering about the different powers of the Nephilim, he's a general list of them all.**

 **Kronos (Time Manipulation): Freezing time, speeding up time, sometimes able to see outcomes of that the timeline the world is on the path of, very limited ability to rewind time (causes a fracture in the space/time continuum since when he uses it, he's able to interact with himself in the past (only used once)).**

 **Taka (Empathy): Able to sense the emotions and feelings around him, able to tell if someone is lying by reading their emotions, can empower himself and others with certain emotions to either increase or hamper their fighting ability.**

 **Lunar (Destruction): Can cause mass destruction on an enormous scale, able to erase people from existence (i.e. physically or mentally), able to control and cause natural disasters, immune to most attacks, anything she sees fit can gain a cutting edge, ect.**

 **Ghoul (Healing): Can heal any wound on herself and others (besides other Nephilim), able to restore stamina to anyone or anything she sees fit, can mend broken minds, able to replenish the natural world around her, limited empathy.**

 **Neko (Animal Communication): Can converse with all animals, able to project her will onto animals for a number of uses, can assume one characteristic of an animal at a time (besides her own).**

 **Hela (Reaping): Can see souls/spirits of the dead, takes souls to the afterlife, able to travel between the two realms unless she herself dies, able to converse with the dead, able to read the thoughts and feelings of those about to die, can give the dying a will to live on given certain circumstances.**

 **Rey (Probability Calculation): able to predict the outcome of events with extreme accuracy, limited ability to manipulate probability in her favor (does not work on other Nephilim).**

 **Gaara AKA Shukaku (Sealing): Can seal anything inside a barrier, able to force others not to speak of certain topics unless instructed, can suppress memories and help recover them, can undo any lock or barrier.**

 **Noctus (Assimilation): Able to assimilate the powers of the other Nephilim and use them as his own (can only use one at a time).**


	21. Chapter 21

**Part I: Yuna**

* * *

Several children and adults were cornered in an alley with Beowolves growling and approaching them. As they all huddled together for the inevitable, the wall over them broke apart as Neko, in her Nephilim form, burst through pounced on a Beowolf. She tore its head off as a wall of flames cut off the alley from the street and she proceeded to fight off the Beowolves. Eventually, Neko returned to her human form then looked back at the civilians, who recoiled when she looked at them.

"Climb through that hole and find anyone from Menagerie," ordered Yuna solemnly as she looked away and her dual swords appeared in her hands in a black mist, "They can protect you."

She then ran into the street and began fighting the Grimm and White Fang when they approached. The people began clambering through the hole until one little girl, who was too short to reach the hole, was left all by herself as the others had forgotten her. The young girl heard a gun cocking and turned around to stare at the barrel of the gun pointed at her face by an Atlesian Knight. However, two sword blades came out from its chest and it fell down when Yuna removed the swords.

She willed the swords away and picked up the young girl, cradling her and holding her like a baby.

"It's going to be okay," assured Yuna through frantic breaths, "Let's go find somewhere safe."

She ran out of the alley and dodged Grimm as well as the White Fang and Atlesian robots and mechs became more abundant while it started to rain and thunder wildly. They were on their way down a street when what could only be described as the sound of a bomb going off raked their ears. This was followed by a roar as an enormous Dragon Grimm flew overhead. As it flew, it dropped black balls in front of Yuna and the girl that spawned more Grimm.

Yuna quickly ran in the opposite direction as countless explosions and fires persisted through the rain. The pair passed by a Dust shop when it exploded, sending the pair flying to the ground. Yuna grunted as she picked herself off the ground with a groan but when she looked up, she was horrified by what she saw. The young girl that she had been carrying, no older than 6, was impaled by the wires from some broken reinforced concrete.

"No!" yelled Yuna in dismay as she hurried over to the girl with all the strength she could muster and pulled her off.

Frantically, Yuna began checking the girl for signs of life but found none. Yuna held the body close as she cried when she felt small hands on her human ears and froze before she dropped the body and grabbed her head as all the noises came to her at once. It was just then that a bright silver light shone from the tower at Beacon, enveloping everything it touched.

* * *

 **Part II: Hana**

* * *

Lunar screeched as she tore the wings off of the Atlesian airships around her before she ripped the head off of a young Nevermore before swallowing a Griffon whole. She screeched again, causing what seemed like a hurricane suddenly hit the area as the winds reached harsh speeds but weak enough for ships to escape while also causing a torrent of rain to fall onto the flaming city, which didn't seem to do much. It was then that she saw several Atlesian airships exploding before practically all of them were gone.

What could only be described as the sound as the sound of a bomb exploding rang through the rain that was followed by a roar. Turning around, Lunar was swatted to the ground by a Dragon Grimm. She landed on top of several other Grimm with the force of the impact causing a crater in the street. Lunar turned into a cloud of black mist that dispersed and revealed she was back in human form. Hana staggered to her feet, feeling the stinging effects of the impact even though she had no physical damage on her before she noticed where she was.

"This is…" she said as she recognized the burning café she was in front of.

She then heard a scream from inside and ran into the flames. Hurrying up the stairs, Hana looked around as the flames burned the building. Another scream came from behind and Hana ran down the hall behind her. Reaching a locked door that had whimpering coming from behind it, Hana busted down the door but recoiled at the flames that were suddenly in her face. She hurried inside the apartment before looking up then rolling out of the way of the falling ceiling. She scampered over to a closet and pulled it open to reveal the frightened little boy inside.

Taking the boy in her arms, Hana hurried out of the room and toward the stairs but was stopped when the floor in front of her collapsed. She looked for another way out as sparks and small backdrafts went off around her. Taking a deep breath, Hana broke into a run and jumped over the hole in the floor barely managing to get her footing. Looking back, she saw a wall of flames moving quickly toward them and dove out the window, turning in air so as not to land of the boy. She landed on her back with a thud as the boy continued to cry while she sat up.

"It's going to be okay," assured Hana as she tried to comfort the boy, "I'll get you to safety."

The boy looked up at Hana with hope in his eyes when a bang went off. For Hana, the world seemed to slow down as the young boy, with a hole going through the side of his temple, fell to the ground. Turning, she stared down the members of the White Fang that had done the deed before roaring in anger. Holding up her hand, a miniature black hole appeared in it and she threw it at the Faunus extremists. All of them wailed in pain before they were drawn into the black hole before they were destroyed completely and the black hole vanished.

Hana looked down at the body of the boy with tears that were masqueraded by the rain streaming down her face. She then felt two small hands on her back before her entire body was wrapped in an immense pain. At that point, a large silver light shone from Beacon Tower, engulfing everything in the area, including her.

* * *

 **Part III: Tamao**

* * *

Ghoul breathed out lightning from her mouth, destroying countless Grimm and Atlesian airships that were firing on/attacking civilians. She then coiled around one and crushed it with little effort. She weaved around the lightning bolts that littered the sky with ease as she devoured Grimm. She caught sight of Ruby fighting Torchwick and Neo on the command ship and kept as many Grimm away as she could.

However, the sound of a loud bang reached her ears and she turned to see an enormous Dragon Grimm heading toward Beacon tower. Ghoul charged it but the Grimm managed to get Ghoul in its jaws and bit down. Ghoul let out a shriek of pain before the Grimm spat her out and down to the ground. Ghoul whimpered as she turned into a black mist that was dispersed by the rain, revealing a heavily bleeding Tamao with blood pooling around her.

"Over here!" came the voice of Nebula of Team NDGO.

The members of the team hurried over to Tamao, who was struggling to keep breathing.

"It's okay, Lady Kirishima," assured Octavia she and the rest of her team got to bandaging Tamao's wounds while others from Menagerie watched over them, "You're going to be alright."

Tamao then felt something cover her eyes before they began burning. Tamao threw NDGO away from her as she grabbed her eyes, wailing in pain. She managed to get a hold of herself enough to open her eyes and see blurry shapes above her. She began screaming in pain again before Dew picked her up and the entire group ran to find a safer place to give Tamao aid. The cold rain doing nothing to drown out the screams of pain Tamao was feeling before they turned a corner and were faced with members of the White Fang.

The teams from Menagerie drew their weapons, ready to defend Tamao with their lives when something in the distance caught everyone's eyes. A silver light shone down from Beacon Tower and soon enveloped all of them so all they saw was white.

* * *

 **Part IV: Naruto**

* * *

Ozma cut through several White Fang soldiers as he made his way through Vale City and seemed to have no difficulty doing so. Two Atlesian Paladins came around the corner and fired rockets at him. Ozma, having finished off the White Fang around him, used his powers to detonate the rockets before they reached him then threw a glowing blue ball that had a large disk shaped like a shuriken that was spinning and humming at the Paladins. The ball went between them before the disk expanded and cut the Paladins in two.

"Your majesty!" called out Nolan of Team BRNZ as she approached with her team.

"Don't worry about me," said Ozma as he gazed up at the storming sky, "Just focus on protecting the civilians."

Several of the Atlesian airships fired lasers down on Ozma, who vanished the moment they hit. A moment later, ships were exploding and the flying Grimm were dropping like flies. From above, Ozma jumped off an airship and flew through three more before landing on a giant Nevermore and stabbing it repeatedly in the head. He hopped off as it started to fall and landed on the side of another airship, stabbing its engine the moment he landed. He jumped on a Griffon and ran his sword through its neck before jumping onto and destroying yet another hostile airship. The moment it exploded, Ozma jumped from the flames and cut an even bigger Nevermore in two, straight down the middle.

He seemed to hover in midair before he gave his sword a big swing, cutting down countless Grimm and destroying just as many airships at once. Landing on the roof of a tall building, Ozma swung his sword around, generating an ethereal green dragon that flew through all the enemies in front of Ozma when he swung his sword again. He then landed on the ground and sheathed his sword as Team BRNZ hurried over but stopped when a large White Fang member, wielding a chainsaw, approached Ozma.

Ozma dodged the revving chainsaw with little effort before he grabbed it by the spinning blade with his left hand. He then drew the short sword across his lower back and stabbed the Faunus in the gut. He then knocked the chainsaw high into the out and out of the grip of the White Fang soldier before drawing his katana and bringing it down on the Faunus. Blood flew into the air from the wound as the Faunus fell back and moved no more.

"You did it!" exclaimed May as she and her team ran up to Ozma.

Before Ozma could say anything, he heard a caw and looked up at the ruins of a building to see Raven looking down at him. She gestured her head in the direction of Beacon Tower then turned back into a bird and flew off as best she could through the wind and rain. Ozma shoved Team BRNZ aside and made a mad dash for Beacon Tower. He gritted his teeth under his helmet as he ran by several Grimm and the students fighting them along with Atlesian Knights and up the tower. He burst through the window of Ozpin's office and glared up at Cinder.

* * *

 **Part V: Pyrrha**

* * *

Pyrrha ran with Ozpin and Jaune through the Vault under Beacon and hurried as fast as they could.

"What is this place?" asked Jaune as they continued running.

"It's… a type of Vault," said Pyrrha cautiously.

"You've… been here before?" questioned Jaune.

Pyrrha remained silent before they stopped at the machine housing Amber.

"Jaune…" began Pyrrha as she looked back at her teammate.

"Pyrrha, get in the pod," ordered Ozpin urgently before Pyrrha jogged over to the pod while Ozpin looked at Jaune, "Mr. Arc, if you'd like to help, you can stand guard."

Jaune nodded and turned toward the entrance and raised his shield.

"Do you think this is what Naruto meant?" asked Pyrrha of Ozpin.

"I can't be sure," said Ozpin as he frantically typed on the keyboard, "But we need to hurry and transfer Amber's Aura over to you."

The pod opened up and Pyrrha lied down inside with tears in her eyes. She and Ozpin locked eyes and nodded to each other. Ozpin started up the machine, causing Amber to wake and stare at him weakly as her Aura traveled along the tubes and into Pyrrha's pod. Pyrrha grunted through the pain loudly and Jaune hurried over.

"I'm… so sorry," apologized Ozpin.

At that moment, an arrow pieced Amber's pod, causing the process to halt and all over them looked at the smirking Cinder, who had a bow in her hand. The lights in the Vault went out as Amber's body went limp. Pyrrha watched in horror as Jaune went to engage Cinder, whose eyes were now glowing and was floating in the air with a powerful Aura circling her. Closing her eyes, Pyrrha reached out with her mind.

 _"You want me?"_ she asked, _"Fine. I'm using your own power to stop your plans."_

She turned into a black mist that broke free of the pod and shielded Jaune from the explosion Cinder sent at him. Pyrrha reformed then grabbed Jaune by the wrist and ran with him toward the elevator.

"Pyrrha, what's going on?!" questioned Jaune as Cinder and Ozpin started fighting behind them.

Pyrrha turned into a black mist again that grabbed Jaune and took him up the elevator shaft and out of the building. Jaune rolled on the floor as Pyrrha reformed again and panted heavily as she looked back at Beacon Tower.

"Pyrrha, what was all of that?" questioned Jaune, "What was that black mist?"

"I…" began Pyrrha before the entire building shook, the two realizing what that meant.

"But… Ozpin…" said the crestfallen Jaune.

"Jaune, I'm sorry but I have to do this," said Pyrrha as a black mist danced around Miló, "Jouketsu."

She touched the tip to the ground and Jaune staggered away from Pyrrha as her entire body was covered in the mist. It was then dispersed by Miló being swung, not by Pyrrha, but by Hela.

"P-Pyrrha?" asked Jaune cautiously.

Hela lowered her head and wrapped her arms around Jaune in a loving hug. She then shoved him into a locker and slammed the door shut, ignoring his protests as she set the coordinates.

"Pyrrha, please don't' do this," begged Jaune.

 **"I'm sorry,"** apologized Hela before she sent the locker on its way.

After watching the locker disappear from sight, Hela ran back into Beacon Tower then turned into a black mist that flew up the elevator shaft. She reformed in Ozpin's office and threw Miló as she did. Cinder dodged then deflected Hela away from her. Hela recalled Miló with her semblance and stared down Cinder when the glass shattered and Ozma glared at Cinder. Drawing his sword, Ozma dragged the tip along the ground as he walked slowly next to Hela.

 **"One last time?"** asked Hela as she never took her eyes off Cinder.

"One last time," affirmed Ozma as he raised his sword.

* * *

 **Part VI: Ruby**

* * *

Ruby ran back into the arena to one of the lockers that had been called to restrain the Nevermore that had gotten inside then pulled out Crescent Rose. She hooked it onto the locker then set the coordinates on it to send it flying out of the arena. It carried her up to Ironwood's flagship and she hopped off before starting to fire on the engines. However, an enormous Dragon Grimm flew by, surprising Ruby before it was followed by a horde of Nevermore and Griffons.

Ruby darted out of the way of one of the Griffons that had attempted to attack her as her mask materialized on her face. She then chopped its head off before cutting it into even more pieces. Ruby panted as she struggled to gain breath before looking back to where she had been standing before her attack to see Neo standing there. Neo took a photo with her scroll as her illusion was dispelled to reveal her normal clothing. They then began fighting with Neo easily matching Ruby's speed and power.

Ruby soon managed to get Neo to back up before firing at her. Neo shattered like glass and Torchwick, who'd been obscured by the illusion, fired at Ruby. The explosion hit her in the head and sent her flying back. Ruby slammed Crescent Rose down onto the airship and slowed down to a stop while holding on for dear life. Torchwick came up to Ruby and leaned on his cane as the two locked eyes with Ruby's mask missing a corner by her eye still being that of a Grimm.

"Little Red, little Red," taunted Torchwick, "You are just determined to be the hero of Vale, aren't you?"

 **"What are you doing?"** questioned Ruby, "Without these ships, the Grimm will destroy everything.

"That's the plan!" proclaimed Torchwick as he prepared to fire at Ruby pointblank.

Ruby grabbed his cane, moving it suddenly so that Torchwick lost his balance. Ruby got to her feet but Neo rolled off her back then kicked her, in the face, toward the edge of the airship. Ruby managed to stop herself as she looked down at the Griffins and Nevermore flying below as the storm they were in raged about with half of her mask now gone. She dodged a swooping Nevermore then looked back at Torchwick and Neo.

 **"But why?"** asked Ruby in distress, **"What do you get out of it?!"**

"You're asking the wrong questions, Red," called out Torchwick over the rain and wind, "It's not what I have to gain. It's that I can't afford to lose!"

Ruby charged in again but Neo beat her to the punch. She easily disarmed Ruby and kicked her toward Torchwick, who het her in the head with his cane that sent her over the edge. She grabbed a hold of Crescent Rose, which was hanging onto the side, and looked frantically down as she was easily about a thousand yards in the air. Neo came up to the edge and looked at the almost now completely unmasked Ruby with the needle in her cane pointed at the only piece of her mask covering her left eye. Ruby didn't even hear what Torchwick was talking about as another voice, this one inside her head, kept repeating the same thing.

 _ **Moeru. Moeru.**_

Ruby managed to reach up and pressed the button that opened Neo's umbrella, causing her to fly away.

"Neo!" called out Torchwick as Ruby climbed back onto the ship.

 **"I don't care what you say!"** said Ruby as a black and blue mist seeped off her body while tears ran down her face, **"I will stop you and whoever you work for! If I don't, I'll never be able to face Kronos and make him pay for what he did!"**

She planted Crescent Rose next to her and the color on it shifted from red to blue as she crossed her arms over her chest.

 **"Jouketsu,"** she announced as she threw her arms open, the mist obscuring her from view.

 **KRONOS! KRONOS!**

 **NOCTUS KRONOS!**

The same laugh from before echoed around them as the mist dispersed to reveal Ruby, or rather, Noctus, was now in a darker version of the armor Kronos had been in before.

 **"BET ON THAT!"** shouted Noctus as he grabbed Crescent Rose and darted around Torchwick with blue rose petals following him.

Torchwick let off a lit red Dust crystal from his cane then knocked it into Noctus, who staggered back before Torchwick fired against his chest, sending him flying onto his back.

"You got spirit, Red," commended Torchwick as Noctus struggled to get to his feet, "But this is the real world!"

He slammed his foot into Noctus's face to knock him back down. Noctus then covered up as Torchwick hit him with his cane before staggering back when Noctus kicked him in the knee. Noctus got to his feet shakily and took several deep breaths. This went on for a few more seconds with Noctus's thoughts plagued by constant images of what Kronos had done to Naruto. He didn't even pay attention to what Torchwick was saying before the criminal was suddenly swallowed by a large Griffin. The Griffin roared at Noctus before charging. Noctus jumped on its head and the force of his push off sent it flying into the control room, causing it to explode.

The ship started to go down so Noctus ran toward the bow of the airship as he picked up Crescent Rose and jumped off. He turned into a black mist that flew down quickly toward the ground and then reformed as Ruby with Crescent Rose returning to its normal color. Ruby staggered forward as she suddenly felt extremely exhausted while the ship exploded when it touched down. Looking around, Ruby saw no more Grimm around then realized she was at Beacon. She saw several passenger airships take off from the landing platform and hurried as fast as she could toward it. As she got close, she saw Weiss and Zwei with Zwei barking when he saw her.

"Ruby!" exclaimed Weiss in relief as she turned and took Ruby's hand.

"I finally found you," said Ruby tiredly before she noticed Ren and Nora sitting on the ground with Blake and Yang, who was missing the lower portion of her right arm to Ruby's horror, lying down in front of them, "Yang…"

"She's gonna be fine," assured Sun as he came over, "The soldiers have a ship that's gonna take you over to Vale."

"But Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing," said Nora before she groaned and held her side.

"What?" asked Ruby in disbelief.

"Look, guys," argued Sun as he pointed out the Dragon Grimm that was still in the air, "That giant Grimm keeps circling the school. Even the White Fang are pulling out!"

"I'll find them," said Ruby in determination.

"No," dismissed Weiss as she came up next to her friend and they looked at each other, "We'll find them."

They nodded then ran toward the school. As they ran, Weiss's scroll went off and she pulled it out.

"It's Jaune!" she exclaimed as she answered the call, "Where are you?!"

"Weiss!" exclaimed Jaune on the other end of the call, "Please! You have to stop her!"

"What?!" questioned Weiss as she was having a hard time understanding Jaune as the rain continued to pour.

"Pyrrha!" cried Jaune, "She's going after that woman… at the top of the tower!"

"Jaune, what are you talking about?!" questioned Weiss, "Where are you?!"

"Don't worry about me!" yelled Jaune, "Please… You have to save Pyrrha."

"We will," assured Weiss, "Are you okay?"

The line disconnected and both Ruby and Weiss looked toward Beacon Tower. The Dragon Grimm landed on one of the arches and roared before Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose.

"I have a plan," said Ruby.

"You always do," said Weiss as she drew Myrtenaster.

Grimm charged them and Ruby and Weiss got to work dispatching them. Ruby tried to take out as many Grimm as she could before she finally fell to one knee after knocking away an Ursa.

"We've gotta hurry!" she exclaimed as she got back to her feet.

Weiss pointed her free hand and Myrtenaster toward Beacon Tower, causing a trail of glyphs to run up it.

"You can do this," teased Weiss with a smile.

Ruby put Crescent Rose away as she broke into a run then used her semblance to jump onto one of the glyphs. Looking up, she ran as fast as she could until she reached the top. She jumped over the ledge but when she landed, she was horrified by what she saw. Pyrrha had been run through by Ozma with his sword. Pyrrha shakily reached up to Ozma before she went limp and disintegrated, her armor and weapons clattering to the ground. Ozma dropped his sword and frantically tried to reached for Pyrrha, but it was all for not.

"PYRRHAAAAAAAAAAAA!" cried out Ozma and Ruby as wings of bright silver light shone out from their eyes.

"What?!" shouted Cinder in anger as the light enveloped her as well as the Dragon Grimm.

* * *

 **Part VII: Aftermath**

* * *

 **(Five Days Later)**

"The casualties are staggering," reported a White Fang captain to Sienna Khan as practically all her senior officers, minus Adam Taurus, were in her throne room, "The group in Vale has caused lasting damage and likely damaged our chances of seeking piece with the Empire of Menagerie."

Everyone's train of thought was interrupted by a commotion outside before the doors were blasted off their hinges. Yuna slowly limped into the throne room, locking eyes with her mother, who stood up. Sienna walked down from her throne and the White Fang members parted as Sienna walked to her daughter. Stopping several feet from her, Sienna stood in silence.

"Yunie?" she asked when she saw the hurt in Yuna's eyes.

Yuna began crying before she ran into her mother's arms and hugged her. She wailed in agony as she fell to her knees with Sienna, who embraced her daughter for the first time in years.

* * *

"I see," said Winter quietly as she sat up in her bed, "Anything else I should know?"

"For now, Menagerie is seeking to establish better relations with the other kingdoms," said Tamao, who looked a little pale but now had bandages over her eyes, "Kronos has gone silent but he did want me to convey your orders. Ironwood is going to eventually close the boarders of Atlas. You're to guard the Relic of Creation."

With that, Tamao turned toward the window and prepared to leave.

"And what about you?" asked Winter.

Tamao lowered her head and unraveled her bandages.

"I'm the Foreign Minister of Menagerie," said Tamao as the bandages fell to the ground, "It's my duty to make sure our countries communicate."

She then looked back at Winter with her deep blue eyes.

"But I'm sure we'll meet again," she said before turning into a black mist that flew out the window and into the sky.

* * *

Hana sat in front of Raven in her tent with tea between them.

"So, that was his plan," said Raven quietly.

"If we hadn't intervened, Ruby would've turned the rest of her teammates into Nephilim," explained Hana, "We had to cause Noctus to awaken in order for them to be saved."

"I see," said Raven as she drank her tea, "So, what does your fearless leader have for you now?"

"We were all told to go watch over the other members of Team RWBY," said Hana, "What Ozma intends to do next is beyond me."

"I think I have an idea," said Raven smugly as she sat her cup down, "After acquiring the powers of the Fall Maiden, I went and used the Relic of Knowledge and found out some interesting things about Kronos and Naruto."

"What do you mean?" questioned Hana curiously.

"Do you really think I'd spoil the surprise?" teased Raven as she stood up and grabbed her sword, "I think I'll let Kronos reveal that when he wants."

She left the tent and joined the rest of her tribe in packing while Hana, deep in thought, left out the back and turned into a black mist that sailed through the sky.

* * *

Ozma, wearing his robe with the hood up, walked slowly toward the Atlesian forces that were barring him from entering Argus with not a care in the world. They opened fire but nothing seemed to hit Ozma as he just continued walking. Making his way through the crowd of soldiers, who appeared to be slowing down, Ozma held up his hands as particles gathered in them. They came together to form a tightly wrapped bundle the size of a teenager and shaped like a girl. Everyone in Argus that was in front of Ozma ran inside except for a single woman. She had red hair that went to her chin and was wearing glasses.

Ozma walked up to the woman and she joined him in walking to a park. Once there, Ozma went up to the already dug hole and sat the bundle inside. He then stepped back and waved his hand, causing the earth that it had replaced to appear over it. He then placed a hand on an enormous stone behind the grave and it seemed to melt away into the shape of Pyrrha Nikos. Miló and Akoúo̱ appeared in his hands in a burst of black mist and Ozma placed them so that Miló was across her back and Akoúo̱ being held up at her feet in front of her.

Just as Caroline Cordovin arrived on the scene with her army, Ozma stood up and faced her.

 _"This park in Argus is now a sacred monument to the Empire of Menagerie,"_ thought Ozma as he projected his thoughts across the entire world, _"Any disrespect to it will result in immediate execution of the suspect. Cinder Fall. Emerald Sustrai. Mercury Black. These three are wanted for the murder and assassination of Queen Salem, known to the world as Pyrrha Nikos. 100 million Lien for their capture. Dead or alive."_

He then turned into a black mist that flew up into the air then dispersed until nothing was left.

 **(That Night)**

Ruby took watch while Nora, Jaune, and Ren slept as they headed for Mistal. The words of Ozma still ringing in their heads from earlier. None of them could believe it but they had decided to put it off until the morning to deal with. In her hands was Crescent Rose and she was currently looking at the small drawing that Naruto had done of himself on it. Tears welled up in her eyes before they streamed down her face. The was a large rustling in the bushes and Ruby shot to her feet. Pointing Crescent Rose at the moving bushes, Ruby took aim and placed her hand on the trigger but removed it as she was shocked by Summer emerging from them.


End file.
